Bereaved Salford families are being offered a meaningful way to honour their babies and children during the festive season.
Angels United FC, a charity which supports families suffering with child or pregnancy loss at any stage, has launched a virtual remembrance tree for loved ones to commemorate their child.
The organisation, which was launched by a group of bereaved dads in 2020, offers peer-to-peer support for families in a football team setting.
Now, the charity has launched ‘Forever Bright’ a new scheme which will offer parents the chance to dedicate a star to a baby or child that they have lost.
The project arrives during a milestone year for the charity, which is now officially registered.
Chair Olly Monk said the timing felt right to create something meaningful for local families who often find the festive period especially difficult.
“This year just seemed right,” he said. “It’s a chance to showcase what we do and a chance for us to help the next parent or family member or relative or friend who’s going through what we’ve all been through.”
While Angels United is based in Higher Broughton, the charity supports bereaved families from across the region. Monk said the idea for the campaign actually came while visiting a garden centre, a moment that sparked thoughts about how the charity could continue supporting people here during winter.
Every October, many families take part in the Wave of Light memorial during Baby Loss Awareness Week. Monk said Forever Bright was designed to carry that moment of reflection beyond a single evening.
Families who join the project can choose a pink, blue or white bauble and include a name or photograph on their star. It’s a gentle way, Monk says, for parents to keep their child’s memory present and for the community to recognise those families’ ongoing grief.
For the team behind Angels United, the campaign is another way to ensure no one in the city feels isolated at Christmas.
“It gives people a chance to know they aren’t alone.”
“It’s a place where love is shared and just to show that these babies and children will never be forgotten.”
“A chance for the parents to say their names loud and proud.”
Looking ahead, the charity is working toward establishing its own permanent base somewhere in Greater Manchester. The vision includes a remembrance wall and a bereavement hub, a place Monk hopes families would be able to visit year-round.
A physical space, he says, where memories can be kept alive, not just at Christmas, but always.
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