A baby loss charity that has supported more than 1,000 families in Nottingham says they will be forced to close if they don’t find enough funds. SiMBA says it will have to close its doors in three months if they can’t raise £50,000.
The charity, which supports bereaved parents during the loss of a baby, was established in 2005. They have supported over 50,000 individuals and families in the UK and Ireland by providing invaluable support during the critical time of loss.
SiMBA works with hospitals including Nottingham University Hospital and Queen’s Medical Centre. The combination of an increase in requests for Memory Boxes from hospitals across the UK in 2022, a significant shortfall in expected fundraising revenue and the sky-high costs of producing, distributing and donating them, has left the charity desperately low funds.
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John Webb and his partner Kate Lowery from Nottingham received help from SiMBA after the deaths of their three babies between 2020 and 2022. John said: “Over the births and deaths of our three children, we find that keepsake boxes are vital to our support. . Although you leave the hospital without your baby, you may leave with some keepsakes and keepsakes that you can treasure. The emotional impact of having something tangible is hard to put into words.
“Without SiMBA’s work, we would have left the hospital empty-handed and without support to start thinking about what memories you can create in the hospital. We are very grateful for their work.”
Despite an urgent appeal early last December, SiMBA still needs to raise £50,000 to keep it running. Sara Fitzsimmons, CEO and Co-Founder of SiMBA, said: “Our wonderful charity, so cherished and loved by the thousands of families who have received our support over the years, is now in trouble.
“Our costs have risen faster than ever and, at the same time, we have seen tremendous growth in requests for our beautiful Memory Boxes from families and healthcare professionals in maternity and neonatal wards across the UK. As a result, we are devastated to say that we could face the closure of our operation unless we receive vital funding by the end of March 2023.
“So we are making an unprecedented appeal to the public, organizations and businesses to help us through donations; fundraising; sharing our story, or in any way they can, so that we get through this critical period and continue to support grieving families when they need us most.”
Keepsake boxes contain items like clay impression kits; certificates of recognition of birth; a letter from another parent who has also suffered the loss of a child and items knitted by volunteers, such as stuffed animals and blankets.
The charity has already undertaken cost-cutting measures, including cutting hours and wages. To donate to #SaveSiMBA or to discover other ways you can help support the charity, visit simbacharity.org.uk today.
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