As part of Baby Loss Awareness Week (BLAW), which occurs from 9th to 15th October, the Cathedral will be offering a reflective space for remembrance for anyone who has lost a baby during pregnancy or shortly after birth. St Clement Chapel will be open throughout BLAW during the day, offering a quiet place of reflection.
Our Canon Chancellor The Reverend Dr Dan Inman said: "We hope we can offer a place of quiet sanctuary for people to attend to their own loss in whatever way feels right for them - and perhaps sense something of that greater Love that sustains and holds each one of us throughout our lives, however long or short they may be."
Pregnancy Options Centre provides free, non-judgemental help and support to anyone struggling after a termination or pregnancy loss. They are inviting visitors to the Chapel as a safe space to remember and mark their loss experience with pink, blue and neutral coloured ribbons, messages, prayers, and tealights to take home for the wave of light ceremony on 15th October at 7.00pm. There will also be information on other local organisations that support bereaved families around pregnancy and baby loss.
Baby Loss Awareness Week, now in its 20th year, provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the impact of pregnancy and baby loss; the importance that bereavement support plays in the ongoing bereavement journey; and of the vital work that is needed to improve pregnancy outcomes.
Anna Madge from Pregnancy Options Centre, said: “We hope that this event will spark conversations about pregnancy and baby loss and give those affected the opportunity to talk about their experiences. At Options, we recognise that every loss is individual, which is why we offer a range of support services to those who have experienced a pregnancy loss, including a termination."
This year Baby Loss Awareness Week will be exploring the theme of Stepping Stones and how pregnancy loss can find people on a new path they never expected to be on.
Clea Harmer, Chief Executive of Sands and Chair of the Baby Loss Awareness Alliance, said: “Following their loss, families find themselves on a new path they never expected to be on. This year, Baby Loss Awareness Week focuses on the steps along that journey, and how they are different for everyone. Some steps along the journey can feel harder than others, but there is always a hand to support anyone when they feel unsteady.
“I hope that this opportunitywill help reassure anyone who finds themselves on this journey, whether recently bereaved or longer ago, that there is a community that exists to help with whatever is needed, whether that is support or simply someone to listen and walk by their side.”
Baby Loss Awareness Week is recognised across the world and culminates with the “Wave of Light” on 15th October. This is a special time when people across the world light a candle at 7.00pm local time and leave it burning as a remembrance.
Visit www.pregnancyoptionscentre.org.uk to find out how you can get or give support.