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Shoobridge Funeral Services | Funerals East Devon
Baby Loss Awareness Week 2026
Every year since 2002, in the UK, the charity Sands, the ‘Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity,’ teams up with 40 other top UK charities to raise awareness, support families and create ‘Baby Loss Awareness Week.’
This week is a global chance for parents, their families, and friends to honour and remember the precious babies who sadly passed away. It also brings people together who’ve experienced similar losses, raising awareness about pregnancy and baby loss in the UK. The campaign wants to improve support services, research, and bereavement assistance policies
They also show how far we’ve come in supporting people who’ve lost babies during pregnancy or after birth
In recent years, the campaign has tackled many tough issues, like breaking the silence about pregnancy loss and encouraging people who’ve lost to share the helpful words of their friends and family. It also reminds us that while pregnancy loss can be incredibly tough, it doesn’t have to be a lonely journey.
Every year since 2002, in the UK, between October 9th and 15th, the charity Sands, the ‘Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity,’ collaborates with 40 other leading UK charities to recognise ‘Baby Loss Awareness Week.
This year, the campaign is focused on the urgent need for better bereavement care for families affected by pregnancy and baby loss, with the goal of raising awareness about the standard of care needed for anyone who’s lost a baby, no matter when it happened.
In the UK, the quality of care for bereaved families varies greatly between regions. Sadly, less than half of NHS Trusts and Health Boards provide bereavement care training, and only 66% have dedicated bereavement rooms for infant loss in their maternity units. This lack of support has led to many families receiving inadequate or no care during their grief.
The Royal Devon and Exeter University Hospital, part of the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, has a special ‘Heartsease Room’ separate from the regular maternity ward. This room is designed to be more sensitive to baby loss situations. It includes special rooms where parents and families can spend time with their babies, equipped with ‘cuddle cots’ that allow for extended bonding. The maternity staff also gets special training to provide comprehensive support to families who’ve lost a baby.
Sands, one of many UK charities participating in Baby Loss Awareness Week, believes that everyone should have access to high-quality bereavement support services and care. They think that people should be able to get the support they need when and where they need it, for as long as they need it.
Baby Loss Awareness Week will be held throughout the UK.
For more information, visit www.babyloss-awareness.org.
Paul Shoobridge, of Shoobridge Funeral Services recently finished Infant Loss training with the Foundation of Infant Loss. This training has helped them understand and care better for people who’ve lost their babies.
Baby Loss Awareness Day was first celebrated on October 15th, 2002, in the UK. It was inspired by Pregnancy & Infant Loss Remembrance Day in the United States. Since then, this day has become a way to raise awareness and raise money for UK organisations that support bereaved parents. The sale of handmade blue and pink ribbon pins has raised thousands of pounds for these organisations.
In 2003, the campaign went all out, extending the day to a whole week and spreading the word across the UK. The first official ‘Wave of Light’ service in the UK took place at the American Church in London, with representatives and members of participating organisations in attendance. Services were also held in various locations across the UK, from Scotland to Surrey. Just like before, bereaved parents made and sold the ribbon pins.
Baby Loss Awareness Day in the UK started on October 15th, 2002. It was inspired by Pregnancy & Infant Loss Remembrance Day in the US. A group of parents got together and started selling handmade blue and pink ribbon pins. These pins raised a bunch of money for UK organisations that help bereaved parents.
In 2004, the campaign became a more formal collaboration between the five participating organisations: Sands, the Miscarriage Association, the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust, ARC, and Babyloss.com. They started making the ribbon pins in a factory and had balloon releases in several places. They also organised a secular service at the Royal Statistical Society in London, and there were over twenty other events across the UK.
In 2006, they introduced the cool two-colour ribbon, and the ribbon pins were made again by bereaved parents with the help of their families and friends.
Sands, a charity that supports stillbirth and neonatal death, has been organising Baby Loss Awareness Week since 2010. Since 2014, they’ve been the main organisers, working to raise awareness about pregnancy and baby loss in the UK. (Source: Baby Loss Awareness Week - https://babyloss-awareness.org/about-us/)
Now, the event is recognised all over the world.
The ‘Wave of Light’ service is the official end of each awareness week. It’s a chance for bereaved parents, families, and friends to come together and remember all the babies who sadly passed away too soon. On October 15th at 7:00 p.m. (local time), join us in lighting a candle and leaving it burning for at least an hour to honour all the babies who lost their lives too soon.
If you want to support the Wave of Light service, take a photo of your candle and share it on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram using the hashtag #WaveOfLight at 7:00 p.m. (local time) on October 15th, 2026.
For more info about Baby Loss Awareness Week 2026, check out these resources:
- Telephone: 020 3897 6092
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.babyloss-awareness.org
- Website: https://www.sands.org.uk/
(Use the search box to find specific info, like the Wave of Light.)
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