Forever Stars has officially hit a huge £1million in funds raised! 

In just over 12 years and only a few months after receiving The King’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK, the charity has passed its first £million thanks entirely to the dedication, commitment and hard work of the charity’s incredible volunteers, Trustees, dedicated fundraisers, donators and corporate supporters.

This milestone coincides with the publication of our Impact Report 2026, which details the enormous impact the charity has had over the last year alone.

To find out more about this important milestone, we spoke to co-founder Richard Daniels about what it means to him, the charity, and the baby loss community Forever Stars has created.

What is Forever Stars’ most memorable fundraising project from the last 12 years?  

This is an easy one. 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.

What is proudest moment for the charity and its fundraising?

So many proud moments, almost on a daily basis, from the last 12 years of fundraising events and activities. But one 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.

What and who are the charity’s biggest fundraisers?

Believe it or not, the top fundraisers are still the traditional ones.  People love a raffle and they love the chase of a tombola, and we’ve got setting up a tombola down to a fine art!  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.

Is there one donation that stands out?

This has to be when the charity received a surprise donation from the Royal household back in 2014, 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. 

What are the top highlights for the charity throughout its 12 years of fundraising?

For sure the ‘projects’ stand out. 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, that has helped remove the feeling of isolation and not feeling cared about for hundreds of families every year. For me, this is the highlight.

Can you put into words how you feel about hitting £1million in funds raised?

Hitting the £1million total funds raised is a hugely proud moment. 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. But we know there is a lot more to do and so of course our aim now has to be to hit £2million, and to develop truly long term sustainable support services that take baby loss bereavement support to the highest level consistently, and not just something that is thought about when baby loss hits the news.

How many volunteers do you have now compared to when the charity started?

We have approximately 100 volunteers who volunteer at varying levels and in many different roles.  This is a stark contrast to 12 years ago, when it was just me and Michelle preparing things on the kitchen table, and trying to see as many people as possible to raise awareness of what Forever Stars was trying to achieve – to raise awareness of baby loss, stillbirth and infant loss, and support families facing such a devastating loss.  Today we have a team of amazing Trustees, an Operations Committee, Volunteers, WhatsApp groups and corporates offering volunteering support.  

What is next for Forever Stars?

It’s got to be hitting £2million in funds raised, hasn’t it. Alongside, we want to develop a lot more professional services via the charity for the mental health and wellbeing of families. And we are talking to Nottingham City Council about our plans to further develop the Serenity Garden. Our specialist support services continue to grow and evolve, and so we are also looking at creating a facility to support families to take a break following their loss.  We’re 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.