An Edinburgh mother fears a baby loss charity might have to shut because it can no longer pay its bills.
SiMBA offers support, comfort and compassion to bereaved families who have lost babies. Unfortunately, the charity is now under threat of closure due to spiralling costs.
The organisation has been open for 18 years and has been giving support to many women and families in Edinburgh and Lothians from their office in Dalkeith. But it faces been wound up in as little as three months.
Read More: Edinburgh residents divided over future of fading Leith mural after decades of damage
Design company director Sara Kermode, 35, from Bonnyrigg, spoke to Edinburgh Live about the amazing work that SiMBA does to support people. She said: “SiMBA helps you realise you can celebrate it in your own way or deal with it in your own way. They help you with grief when you have to bury your own child.”
They are an amazing company; they are so loving and giving and I think a lot of families rely on them. I think for some people they can’t cope and are consumed on what happened and SiMBA does an amazing job of helping them.”
“The staff are amazing, they are the most caring, loving people we have known them for nine years and they are like family to us.”
SiMBA also provides memory boxes to break the stigma round miscarriages, still births and neonatal deaths. The boxes are donated to hospitals across the UK and Ireland and contains many items like teddies, blankets and pictures.
Sara and her partner, Jonny Kermode lost their baby, Rose from a stillbirth in August 2014 and contacted SiMBA in early 2015. Since then Sara and her husband, Johnny have taken part in many charity events for Simba including: 10K’s, rowing and cycling events.
Sara went onto say “I would be devastated” if Simba were to close. “There is not enough support out there for parents, woman, grandparents who lose a child. They need to be there because there isn’t much out there.”
“The NHS is stretched as it is. There needs to be somewhere people can go and sit and cry or to meet new people and the security where people can go and be open about what they have been through.”
CEO of SiMBA, Sara Fitzsimmons made a plea in an attempt to save the charity: “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.”
“We don’t want any bereaved family who in the future loses their baby not to have the gift of a precious Memory Box.”
If you want to donate to help to save SiMBA click the link here
Read Next:
Edinburgh weather: Polar vortex within weeks bringing snow and freezing temperatures
Old Dalkeith Road Edinburgh: Police lock down major road 'for hours' during rush hour
Young Edinburgh man, 30, rushed to hospital after reports of 'knife attack'
Edinburgh police probe terrifying death threat Harry Potter author JK Rowling received
Stunning village pub with its own flat near Edinburgh hits the market for £550,000
