Forever Stars

Forever Stars was established in January 2014 by Michelle and Richard Daniels, following the stillbirth of their daughter Emily in December 2013. Based in Beeston, Nottingham, the charity provides baby loss support to families across the East Midlands, founded on first-hand experience of the gaps in bereavement care, and a determination to improve the facilities available to families. It has grown steadily and is now operating from its own dedicated centre.

The charity’s work spans four main areas of provision. Its Serenity Suites, funded entirely by Forever Stars, are purpose-built bereavement rooms within Queen’s Medical Centre (opened 2016, cost £185,000) and City Hospital (opened 2017, cost £145,000) – providing families with a private, dignified space immediately following their loss, beyond what the NHS alone provides. The Serenity Centre in Beeston serves as a community hub offering ongoing support, resources, and group activities, including the ‘Families Like Ours’ workshop programme. The Serenity Garden at Highfields Park, opened in 2021, is a public space dedicated to remembrance. A play therapy service supports siblings of babies who have died – a group whose needs are often overlooked in bereavement care.

Forever Stars recognises that baby loss affects whole families, not just parents. Its support extends to siblings, grandparents, and friends, and its advocacy work includes membership of the Baby Loss Awareness Alliance. The charity also campaigns on issues such as miscarriage, widening the scope of who it seeks to help. All of this is made possible through fundraising events and corporate partnerships, as there is no statutory funding.