Dorset remembrance service for families affected by baby loss

The event, organised by Mariposa International, will take place at Wimborne Minster on Sunday, April 27 at 3pm.

It is one of more than 25 services the charity will hold this year across seven countries.

The services are open to anyone who has experienced loss and provide an opportunity for families to remember and honour their lost babies.

There will be music, poetry and acts of remembrance at the event.

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Mariposa International, formerly The Mariposa Trust, started these ‘Saying Goodbye’ services in Exeter Cathedral in 2012.

Since then, more than 240 services have been held across the world, providing solace to tens of thousands of individuals.

Zoe Clark-Coates, the charity’s co-founder and CEO, said: “Our services provide a beautiful opportunity for mothers, fathers, siblings and extended family to say goodbye to their babies and show they are truly loved.

“Our job at the Mariposa Trust is to ensure every child is recognised, however fleeting their existence.”

The charity’s initiative comes as baby loss continues to be a stark reality for many, affecting one in four pregnancies annually in the UK.

The charity also provides support to more than 50,000 people globally each week through its six divisions.

One parent who attended a previous service said: “The Saying Goodbye service gave me the time and space to formally recognise all of my babies and the experience of being with people who just knew how it felt was a real strength.

“As I stood with other parents and proudly rang the bell for my 14 babies, I felt unbearable sadness but also a great privilege to be able to properly celebrate their existence.”

In addition to their services, Mariposa International is also campaigning for change, with Ms Clark-Coates chairing the government’s Pregnancy Loss Review.

The review, accepted in 2023, made 73 recommendations to improve care and support across the NHS and beyond, including the introduction of ‘Certificates of Loss’.

Andy Clark-Coates, the charity’s co-founder and CEO, said: “We invite anyone who has gone through or been affected by baby loss, whether recently or decades ago, to join us for this special event.”