More than 20 Nottingham families have already benefitted from life-changing therapy that supports children coping with the loss of a baby sibling, thanks to local charity Forever Stars, which is dedicated to supporting bereaved families and raising awareness of baby loss.

Talking Through Tears

The Nottingham-based charity’s ‘Talking Through Tears’ 2025 campaign hit its £60,000 fundraising target, and has now financed over 200-hours of fully funded play therapy sessions for children dealing with the loss of a baby sibling.

The £60,000 was raised throughout 2025 by a host of individual challenges by Forever Stars’ supporters, as well as its own fundraising events, including its Pink and Blue Charity Ball and flagship 26-mile ‘One Step at a Time’ walk during Baby Loss Awareness Week in October.

What is Play Therapy?

Play therapy is focused on supporting brothers and sisters with healing play therapy sessions, tailored for individual children to help them understand and manage their emotions following the family’s loss of a baby either through miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death.

Play serves as a universal language for children, allowing them to express feelings that might be too complex or painful to put into words. Studies* show that when children engage in play, they recreate scenarios and emotions related to their trauma, enabling them to explore and make sense of their experiences in a safe environment. This process can lead to emotional relief and greater self-awareness.

The campaign was inspired by the personal experiences of Forever Stars’ co-founders Richard and Michelle Daniels and the impact the loss of their daughter Emily had on her brother Finlay, who was aged four when his sister was stillborn in December 2013. Richard explains: “Our worlds shattered that day. But while Michelle and I were trying to deal with our loss and grief, we could see that Finlay was struggling too, angry and lost in a world of questions, confusion and sadness that he was really too young to articulate.”

“We wanted to help Finlay understand his feelings and process the loss of his baby sister,” says Michelle “but there was no specialised support available for siblings like him. Because when we discovered play therapy for him, it provided the kind of support Finlay needed, and healing we couldn’t find for him anywhere else. Through imaginative play, children learn to navigate their emotions, leading to healthier coping strategies in real-life situations. For Finlay, play therapy genuinely helped him to understand his feelings and emotions, process the loss of his baby sister and the effect this was having on his Mummy and Daddy.”

Richard adds: “Of course we are thrilled, as well as overwhelmed, at the immense generosity of people who have donated to the campaign, taken on amazing challenges including The Robin Hood Half Marathon, and those who took part in our own 26-mile walk around Nottingham.  This event is honestly my personal favourite as it brings so many families together, helps create awareness that Forever Stars’ facilities and support are available in Nottingham, and really got people talking about play therapy for grieving siblings.”

Play Therapy at the Serenity Centre

The charity’s play therapy sessions are delivered at Forever Stars’ Serenity Centre in Nottingham by Lizzie Miller, a Nottingham-based Certified Play Therapist registered with the professional body Play Therapy UK (PTUK).  Lizzie says: “I meet with parents before working with their child and for some families this has been the first time they have been able to talk about the details of what they went through, and to feel heard and understood. I have noticed how many of the children arrive to the first session nervous and quiet, and quite uncertain about what to expect.

“By the end of a block of 15 sessions it is remarkable to see the transformation of the children. Anxiety has been a big issue for a number of the children I have worked with, and some were struggling to attend school because of the trauma around the loss of their baby sibling. However for a number of these children coming for play therapy has helped them grow in confidence, and to be able to find their voice to express their emotions and articulate their experiences. The loss of a baby is an incredibly hard time for the whole family, there is such a lot of grief, sadness and anxiety, and so play therapy has also enabled the siblings to find moments of joy and fun in the midst of all they are going through.”  

Richard adds: “We know first-hand the immense value of play therapy to bereaved siblings, and have seen the same positive effect on the families working with Lizzie thanks to the generosity of our supporters and fundraisers. The charity now continues to provide play therapy as part of its services and ongoing support, workshops and groups for baby loss families. The money raised has also meant we can provide ongoing support for parents following the end of their child’s play therapy sessions, with a number of parents attending our one to one sessions where they are trained in Parent Child Attachment Play.”

About Forever Stars

Over the last 11 years, Forever Stars has raised more than £900,000. Among the many projects funded by the charity’s fundraising is a bereavement ‘Serenity Suite’ at each of the QMC and Nottingham City hospitals, and the creation of a baby remembrance Serenity Garden in Highfield Park, Nottingham, which is maintained by the charity’s army of volunteers. 

Forever Stars is a charity dedicated to raising awareness of baby loss and supporting bereaved families living in Nottingham and the wider East Midlands who have suffered a stillbirth or infant loss. The charity was awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service for 2025, the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE.

*Source: What is Play Therapy? – The British Association of Play Therapists