West Kent Local News
Dunorlan Park, Tunbridge Wells, where the council has set up one of its two Baby Loss Awareness Week ribbon displays. Image credit: N Chadwick / Geograph, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Tunbridge Wells Marks Baby Loss Awareness Week With Ribbon Displays in Two Parks
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council is setting aside space in two of the town's green spaces this month so that anyone affected by the loss of a baby can mark it in their own way. During Baby Loss Awareness Week, which runs nationally from 9 to 15 October, people can visit a designated area at the Dunorlan Park summer house or at the Tunbridge Wells memorial garden, and either tie their own ribbon or write a name on one of the blank hearts and ribbons the council has left there.
"No baby will be alone"
The council says the displays are open to anyone affected by baby loss "at any stage of gestation, years ago or recently," and has promised that every baby remembered during the week will be honoured "with care and dignity," held in memory as part of what it calls a shared space of compassion. The scheme is run in partnership with Thrive, a specialist NHS service for people dealing with the psychological aftermath of birth trauma or baby loss.
The Wave of Light
Baby Loss Awareness Week ends each year with the Wave of Light, coordinated by the baby loss charity Tommy's: people around the world light a candle at 7pm on 15 October in memory of babies who have died during pregnancy, at birth, or in infancy. The council's displays in Dunorlan Park and the memorial garden give anyone in Tunbridge Wells a physical place to mark the same week.
Where to find support
Thrive, the NHS service the council is working with, is run by Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust - but it's worth knowing what it actually covers before getting in touch. Thrive supports people who have already had therapy for perinatal trauma or loss but are still experiencing symptoms of PTSD; it isn't designed as a first point of contact. Anyone who hasn't yet had support for a loss is better starting with their GP, NHS Talking Therapies, or one of the specialist baby loss charities that work across Kent, including Petals, Making Miracles and the Lullaby Trust. Those who do fit Thrive's referral criteria can book a consultation by emailing kmmh.thrivemhsupport@nhs.net or calling 01227 768928, option 2.
