Special service aims to provide support following bereavement

Parents and relatives who have lost a child before or shortly after birth are invited to join a service of remembrance in Perth on Thursday this week.

The Children’s Memorial Service will take place at 7.30pm in the Fair City’s Salvation Army Hall.

The service has been organised by NHS Tayside’s department of spiritual care, the maternity and neonatal bereavement service and Tayside SANDS – the stillbirth and neonatal death charity.

The event will include music, readings and the lighting of candles in memory of those who have died.

Healthcare chaplain Debbie Jones said: “The death of a child, whether before or after birth, causes a great deal of emotional pain for parents, grandparents, other family members and friends.

“The Children’s Memorial Service is a valued opportunity for support and encouragement, where parents and others can remember their children in a safe and supportive way, along with others who have experienced similar losses.

“The event is for everyone regardless of faith or belief and many parents who have lost a child return each year to remember their loved one at this special service.”

The service will also be available to view online on Friday, March 18, from 7.30pm onwards for those unable to attend in person.

A link to book a place at the service in advance is available on the Eventbrite website.