Nottingham baby loss charity founder a finalist in national award
Added by Love Business East Midlands | 1 September 2026
Richard Daniels, the co-founder of Nottingham’s Forever Stars, has been nominated for a national award in recognition of his commitment and impact through his charitable work.
Richard, who created Forever Stars with his wife Michelle in 2014 after the loss of their daughter Emily, has been named a finalist for the prestigious James E. Smith Special Recognition Award in the 2026 National Charity Today Awards™, which recognise outstanding achievements, innovation, and impact across the UK's charity sector, and celebrates the people and organisations transforming lives across the UK.
The Special Recognition Award is named in honour of Private James E. Smith, a British Army veteran who served in the Burma Campaign during the Second World War. It recognises people who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment and impact through their charitable work.
Forever Stars is dedicated to supporting families who have experienced the heartbreak of losing a baby and to raising awareness of baby loss, stillbirth and infant loss. It is run entirely by volunteers and trustees. This year the charity passed a huge £1million in total funds raised, and in 2025, Forever Stars was awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK, and which is equivalent to an MBE.
For everyone at Forever Stars, seeing Richard recognised in this way means so much:
“This nomination is a fitting recognition of the dedication, determination and hard work that Richard and Michelle have given to Forever Stars since 2014,” says charity Trustee Daniel Barnett.
“Forever Stars was formed from their own experience of baby loss following the death of their daughter, Emily. From that heartbreak, Richard and Michelle have worked tirelessly to help other families facing the loss of a baby, creating a lasting legacy that has reached and supported hundreds of families across Nottinghamshire and beyond.
“While Richard’s name is on the nomination, we know he will be the first to say that the Forever Stars journey has always been Richard and Michelle together, supported along the way by an incredible community of families, volunteers, fundraisers, and supporters.”
Of the award nomination, Richard says:
“I’m honoured to be named a finalist for the James E. Smith Special Recognition Award. Forever Stars has never been about individual recognition. It has always been about the families we support and trying to make things a little better for those who sadly find themselves facing the loss of a baby.
“Michelle and I have been on this journey together, alongside some amazing people who have given their time and support to Forever Stars over the last 12 years. I see this nomination as recognition of everything we have achieved together, and I’m incredibly proud of the difference our Forever Stars family continues to make.”
Winners of the National Charity Today Awards 2026 will be announced at an event in Peterborough on the 14th October 2026.
To find out more about Forever Stars, visit: Forever Stars | East Midlands | Stillbirth & Child Bereavement Charity
