A REMEMBRANCE service will take place in November to celebrate the lives of children and babies who have died.

The annual service is organised by Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (MCHFT), which manages Crewe’s Leighton Hospital, and this year will be held on Saturday, November 11, from 3pm at St Peter’s Church, Minshull Vernon.

Parents, friends and relatives are invited to come along to remember their young loved ones who have passed away before, during or after birth.

Lynn Pessol, ward manager for the neonatal intensive care unit at Leighton Hospital, said: “We hold these services every year for families who have suffered the loss of a baby or child.

“The service not only provides an opportunity for patients, relatives and friends to meet together and talk about their personal experiences, but also helps families cope with their great sense of personal loss.”

The service, which includes an act of remembrance and the lighting of candles, provides an occasion when all those affected by the loss of a child under the age of 16 can acknowledge their loss and hopefully move on in their grief.

It is designed as a quiet, reflective and supportive occasion and all are welcome to attend, regardless of faith or religious beliefs.

If you would like further information about the service, or to register your attendance or if you have recently changed address but would still like an invite, contact the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit on 01270 612284 or email gaynor.grimes@mcht.nhs.uk or lynn.pessol@mcht.nhs.uk

Those who are unable to attend but who would like a candle lit on their child’s behalf are also welcome to contact the Trust using the details above.