A busy Lanarkshire charity is celebrating the opening of its new shop and the success of a special fundraiser arranged by one of its supporters.
Volunteers from Baby Loss Retreat now have a busy retail presence at Alexander Street in Airdrie, with customers flocking to their treasure trove of bargains and helping to fund their programme of counselling and help for families who have experienced neonatal bereavement.
They also saw their music therapy funds boosted thanks to a night of stellar performances by a range of singers including The Voice contestant Jeremy Levif.
Baby Loss Retreat’s new shop in Airdrie has proved popular with shoppers since opening its doors just over a month ago, and charity co-ordinator Heather Denham described it as “a breath of fresh air”.
She said: “The response has been phenomenal; it’s in a lovely area in the town centre and we’ve had lots of passing trade and people both discovering the shop and finding out more about what we do as a charity.
“We have everything and anything on sale – babies’, children’s and adult clothing and shoes, toys, games, household items, bric-a-brac and a jewellery cabinet.”
The shop is open from 10am to 4pm on Tuesdays to Saturdays, and recently had a grand opening ceremony attended by Coatbridge MP Steven Bonnar and Central Scotland MSP Graham Simpson.
Heather added: “There are four volunteers running the shop, who are brilliant, and the funds raised help to support all our work like providing free two-day retreats for parents and counselling and support for families, so it’s a great thing for us.
“We provide aftercare to families who have lost a baby through miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death and IVF and offer counselling, trauma therapy, and listening music therapy for siblings affected by loss.”
Baby Loss Retreat was founded four years ago by Coatbridge couple Julie and Bryan Morrison, in memory of their late daughter Erin; and the respected charity has since gone on to earn recognition including a Points of Light award and National Lottery titles..
Their programme includes listening music therapy for bereaved siblings, run by counsellor Lorraine O’Rourke; and she recently enlisted a host of friends and supporters to run a fundraising musical event at Ayr venue Gro Coffee.
Five different singers took to the stage – including Jeremy, who appeared on last year’s series of The Voice as a member of Will.i.am’s team, and 10-year-old singing star Ryah Henderson – with more than £300 being raised for the charity’s music programme.
Heather added: “It was a brilliant night and a great way to support the listening therapy, which is a great way of engaging with children – they create playlists to remind them of their sibling and which they can listen to when they’re feeling sad to pick them up a bit, and they also create memory boxes.”
The charity will also host its annual “wave of light” service to mark baby loss awareness week on October 15 at St Augustine’s church in Coatbridge, for families who have experienced the loss of a baby.
Beginning at 7pm, the service of reflection will include a roll call of the names of babies lost and the lighting of candles in their memory.
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