Fundraising at baby loss charity Forever Stars hits £1million
Added by Love Business East Midlands | 20 July 2026
UPDATED: 21 July 2026
Forever Stars, the Nottingham-based charity dedicated to raising awareness of baby loss, stillbirth and infant loss, and to supporting families facing such a devastating loss, has officially hit a huge £1million in funds raised.
Founded 12 years ago in May 2014, the charity’s fundraising has spanned its own raffles and tombola’s, Golf Days and Comedy Nights, as well as high profile fundraising efforts by its supporters such as skydiving, running the London Marathon, Derby Ramathon and the Robin Hood Half Marathon.
Back in 2014, the charity even received a surprise donation from the Royal household, when the then Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, now King Charles and Queen Camila, donated a tea set from their Highgrove Collection for a charity auction at the first ever Forever Stars Gala Dinner.
Forever Stars was founded by Richard and Michelle Daniels following the stillbirth of their daughter Emily in December 2013, with the main aim of providing a lifeline of emotional support, practical advice, and information to anyone touched by the death of a baby or infant, through counselling, support groups, and resources.
Last year, the charity was awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and equivalent to an MBE.
Hitting the £1million total funds raised is a hugely proud moment says Richard:
“I'm immensely proud of the last 12 years and the work that the whole team has done to get us to this point. £1million is a lot of money and I hope that with every pound that people have donated, they feel we have made that pound count, and that they feel part of the £1m fundraising achievement.
“All of our projects are entirely funded by the generosity of companies and individuals who wish for baby loss bereavement care to be the best it possibly can be for families in Nottingham and the East Midlands,” he says.
The charity’s fundraising began with an ambitious campaign following its launch, but Forever Stars reached its goal, raising £180,000, within its first year, which was used to pay for the creation of a facility to cater for the needs of parents experiencing baby loss at QMC - a Serenity Suite. The bereavement Suite opened on 28th April 2016, and since then, has been used by more than 2,600 families who sadly experienced baby loss or miscarriage.
“There are so many ‘moments’ I treasure from the last 12 years of fundraising events and activities,” Richard says. “The whole experience of our first fundraising campaign and raising £180,000 was so new and challenging to us, with every day a learning day, and seeing the Serenity Suite open after two years of daily fundraising was such a proud and emotional moment.
“Another significant moment was when Emma and Doug from Talk About William contacted us to say they had the money to help us complete the £180,000 needed to finish the Serenity Suite at QMC. We still keep in touch with Emma and Doug, and often talk about our daughter Emily and their son William being friends.”
Choosing one fundraising event out of the hundreds over the last 12 years is easy, says Richard:
“Personally, the most memorable fundraiser has to be the very first because it was the moment we put ourselves out there in the public domain as fundraisers and as Forever Stars. The event was an Evening with John McGovern, the former Nottingham Forest footballer, at the University Sports and Social Club, when around 100 people helped us raise about £1,500. Having John step forward to support the charity was a massive boost and gave us local credibility.
“As well, Forever Stars is fortunate to have very many long term supporters who have raised a huge amount of money, especially Long Eaton Rugby Club, which has been central to raising well over £30,000.”
Richard adds:
“I’m sometimes asked which of the many projects the charity has funded makes me most proud. For sure the Serenity Suites at both QMC and City Hospital in Nottingham, our Serenity Garden in Highfield Park, and the Forever Stars Serenity Centre, are each landmark highlights. But the money raised has created something far more important - a community that didn't exist before, it's helped remove the feeling of isolation and not feeling cared about for hundreds of families every year. This is the highlight.”
So, what’s next for Forever Stars?
“Reaching £1million is something everyone should feel incredibly proud about, but we know there is still a lot more to do. This is why we won’t rest on our laurels despite this incredible fundraising milestone, and now set our sights on raising £2million and developing a long term sustainable service that takes baby loss bereavement support to a consistently high level, and not just something that is thought about when baby loss hits the news.
“Apart from aiming to raise £2million, we want to develop a lot more professional services via the charity for the mental health and wellbeing of families,” says Richard. “We're talking to Nottingham City Council about our plans to further develop the Serenity Garden, and looking at creating a facility to support families to take a break following their loss. We're also mindful that we are in a cost of living crisis and money is already spread thinly, so more than anything, as well as looking to develop new services, we want to be confident we can maintain the current services at a sustainable level for many years to come.”
Forever Stars is run entirely by volunteers and trustees, with around 100 volunteers currently giving their time at varying levels and in many different roles including an operations committee made up of Michelle Hemsley, Rebecca Soundy, Leanne Louch and Emma and Andrew Fennell, which carries out a lot of the charity’s day to day work, alongside a team of trustees - Daniel and Laura Barnett, Carly and Ben Clarke, Julie and Heather Oldwill, Martyn Oliver, as well as Michelle and Richard. The charity’s Patrons are Anne Davies and Mark Dennison. For more information about Forever Stars, visit the charity’s website: https://www.foreverstars.org/
