Town Hall to shine pink and blue for baby loss awareness

MELKSHAM Town Hall will be illuminated in pink and blue lights from 9th to 15th October to show Melksham’s support for Baby Loss Awareness Week, thanks to an idea from local mum, Gemma Stevenson. 

The UK’s annual awareness week, now in its 16th year, is an opportunity for bereaved parents, families and friends, to commemorate babies’ lives and break the silence around pregnancy and baby loss.

After Paul Weymouth and the team at Lights Fantastic installed the new Town Hall lights, showing the different colours that can be programmed on social media, Gemma had the idea of lighting up the Town Hall during the awareness week. 

Gemma said, “Baby loss awareness week remembers babies lost throughout pregnancy, still born babies as well as babies who aren’t with their parents for long after birth and those who are lost in infancy. It has affected not just me, as I lost my baby last year, but a lot of people I know. I’m a member of lots of groups on Facebook surrounding baby loss and saw that people were trying to get buildings all lit up in pink and blue. 

“After seeing Paul Weymouth’s post on social media, I approached the mayor, Adrienne Westbrook, to ask permission for the lights to be pink and blue during the week, and it was accepted!” 

From Shetland to the Channel Islands many municipal buildings, hospitals, bridges and iconic landmarks will take part in raising awareness including the Blackpool Tower, The Kelpies, Portsmouth Spinnaker Tower, Belfast City Hall, the Millennium Bridge at Gateshead, Cardiff City Hall and many others.

Dr Clea Harmer, chief executive of Sands (the stillbirth and neonatal death charity) said, “Baby Loss Awareness Week is a unique opportunity for parents to commemorate their babies who died, and I hope bereaved families in Melksham seeing the Town Hall lit up pink and blue will feel less isolated and alone in their grief.

“Pregnancy loss or the death of a baby is a tragedy that affects thousands of people every year. It is devastating for parents and families and it’s vital they get the bereavement support and care they need, for as long as they need it.”

For further information about Baby Loss Awareness Week visit: www.babyloss-awareness.org