A year-long fundraising effort by staff at Reward Finance Group in Leeds has raised £15,000 for its local charity partner Aching Arms, which provides support to bereaved parents coping with the loss of a baby during pregnancy, at birth or immediately after.
The money raised by Reward will deliver much-needed funds to the charity which uniquely provides comfort bears to hospitals and hospices, for midwives and nurses to offer to bereaved parents in their care. Each year in the UK around 3,000 babies are stillborn and one in four pregnancies end in miscarriage.
Along with the comfort bears, it also provides a vital support service and community to parents after their loss and currently works with over 170 hospitals in the UK, as well as an increasing number of hospices, support groups and funeral directors. Since its launch as a small grassroots charity back in 2010 by Leanne Turner, Aching Arms has seen demand for its service double in the last 12 months.
Speaking about the donation, Mel Barclay, trustee for Aching Arms in Leeds, said: “Our 12 month partnership with Reward has been extremely successful. We are very grateful to all the team for the guidance, support and knowledge they have provided and the many physically challenging fundraising events they have hosted.
“The money raised will support the charity to continue its work in supporting newly bereaved families who experience the loss of their baby before, during or shortly after birth. On behalf of the whole team at Aching Arms, I would like to say a heartfelt thank you.”
From hosting its annual charity quiz at Leeds Arena to completing the Leeds 10k Clarion Corporate Challenge and coming first out of 40 companies, the team at Reward embarked on a range of fundraising initiatives to achieve its ambitious target.
Gemma Wright, Reward’s Managing Director for Yorkshire and the North East, added: “When we heard about Leanne’s heartbreaking personal story and the terrific work Aching Arms does to help parents coping with such tragic loss, we immediately wanted to offer our support.
“It really opened our eyes to the charity’s community and the essential services it provides to grieving parents, with the team here at Reward working tirelessly to reach a fundraising target that exceeded our expectations. We’d like to thank everyone involved who both raised money and donated and wish the charity all the best for the year ahead as demand for its services unfortunately continues to grow.”
