Devoted Jenni, the unsung hero of child bereavement charity
Regarding You magazine’s account of Julia Samuel’s involvement with Child Bereavement UK, we would like to draw attention to the more significant and profound role played by the charity’s founder, Jenni Thomas OBE. Contrary to the impression given by You, the charity was the culmination of decades of groundbreaking work in child bereavement in the NHS by Jenni.
As a nurse in the 1970s, she had seen at first hand the lack of understanding for mothers whose babies died at or soon after birth.
It led to a lifelong vocation devoted to finding better ways for doctors, midwives, nurses, police and others to work with bereaved parents and support families. The policies and protocols she established are now standard practice in the NHS and beyond.
Jenni, right, started the Child Bereavement Trust (as it was known then) from an office in her home and launched it in September 1994. Thanks to her driving force as chief executive, tireless fundraiser and lead counsellor, it expanded rapidly. Jenni’s reputation grew as fast as that of CBT. She made films, wrote books and gave lectures at home and abroad, while continuing to run the charity and maintain her work as an NHS bereavement counsellor.
In 2000 she received the Nye Bevan Award for outstanding service to the NHS from Tony Blair; in 2002 she was awarded the OBE by Prince Charles; in 2003 the Chief Medical Officer appointed her to the Government Commission on Retained Organs following the Alder Hey scandal. After leading CBT for ten years, Jenni became its president, leaving in 2009. In the eyes of many, she will always be its guiding spirit. She is now a counsellor with
the Angus Lawson Memorial Trust and the Rosie’s Rainbow Fund.
Vanessa Cummings,
senior personal secretary, 10 Downing Street 1971-1988, and operations manager and secretary to the CBT board of trustees 1997-2003;
Vicki Allanach,
RCN midwifery adviser 1988-2002;
Hilary Ruhl-Goodrich,
director of midwifery, St Mary’s, Paddington 1990-1994;
Heather Cawthorn,
head of maternity services, Wycombe Hospital 1986-1999