A charity which helps bereaved parents in Dumfries and Galloway is facing closure unless it raises £150,000 by the end of March.
Since 2005, SiMBA has supported more than 50,000 individuals and families across the UK and Ireland by providing them with invaluable support during their time of loss.
The Scottish-based organisation provides parents with memory boxes but the rising cost of making them, coupled with an 83 per cent increase in demand in the past three years are behind the financial pressures.
SiMBA supported the D&G Baby Loss Awareness group to help create a Tree of Tranquillity in the Crichton Estate to give parents a place for them to remember their children.
Lauren Patterson, of the group, said: “SiMBA is a charity so close to my heart.
“Unfortunately baby loss is a huge part of my life that I have to live with daily and has changed me forever as a person, which is why I want to help SiMBA continue their amazing work.
“Without SiMBA I wouldn’t have been able to make memories and have keepsakes of my babies.
“As bereaved parents, we don’t get the first steps, the first day at school, first words, we have a small precious amount of time to make as many memories possible, and SiMBA have made that possible.
“I’m asking if anyone can spare as little as £1 or if they would be able to hold an event/sponsored walk, anything that could help, it would be so appreciated.”
The charity said is has already undertaken cost-cutting measures including reduced hours and salaries for staff.
Sara Fitzsimmons, chief executive and co-founder, said: “Our wonderful charity, so appreciated and loved by the thousands of families who have received our support over the years, is now in trouble.
“Our costs have increased faster than ever before, while at the same time we’ve seen a huge growth in requests for our precious memory boxes from families and healthcare professionals in maternity and neonatal wards across the UK.
“So, we are making an unprecedented appeal to the public, organisations and businesses to help us through donations; fundraising; sharing our story, or in whatever way they can, so we survive this critical period and continue to support bereaved families when they need us most.”
To help go to www.simbacharity.org.uk today.
