A BALSALL Common stillbirth charity has been given a helping hand thank to shoppers.
The Lily Mae Foundation received £2,500 from the sales of 5p single-use carrier bags over the past six months at the Heart of England Co-operative Society.
Shoppers in the Coventry and Balsall Common branches of The Co-operative voted for the charity founded by Amy and Ryan Jackson following the tragic death of their daughter Lily Mae in 2010.
The charity supports families dealing with a stillbirth, neonatal death or medical terminations.
Ryan said: “Although we are a fairly small charity we have people from all over the country who contact us for help.
“A large part of the work we do is providing hospitals and families with a memory box containing practical items such as clay print kits which enable us to take the prints of a baby which we then transfer on to a silver item of jewellery.
“We also provide teddy bears and a scented candle, to help evoke a memory, and a book, trinket boxes and other practical items.
“We also donate cuddle cots to hospitals – cold mattresses which help parents spend more time with their babies.”
Ryan said the money will help to further the charity’s work, with the launch of a new campaign, Siblings Grieve Too, helping to bring bereaved siblings together.
The Lily Mae Foundation is working with national charity Child Bereavement UK to give specialist support.
Ryan added: “We would like to thank everyone who voted for us to receive a share of the money from the Heart of England Co-operative Society.
“The money will allow us to continue developing the work we do.
“And while the money is fantastic, the exposure of the charity is equally key and has been worth just as much to us.
“To know people are learning about us every day and appreciate the work we undertake every day is invaluable.”
With the second highest number of votes in the Coventry area, the YMCA received £1,500, while the Coventry Boys and Girls Club received £1,000.
