With the teams currently tied at one win each, this year’s Charity Shield – at Wollaton Football Club on
Sunday 13 th October – has all the makings of a highly competitive game, says John Pye’s Head of Client
Account Management UK & Europe, Tom Fishwick:
“With each team having one victory under their belt, everything is up for grabs this year. The 2022 and
2023 matches were both fantastic, and while Forever Stars does have some strong players, I am
confident we’ve got a great team this year. It’s a tough result to call, but I predict a 4-2 win for John
Pye!”
The Forever Stars Charity Shield is one of several highlights of the charity’s packed programme of
fundraising events marking Baby Loss Awareness Week (BLAW), an annual event, now in its 22 nd year,
which runs from the 9th to the 15th October.
Tom comments: “Baby Loss Awareness Week is incredibly important, providing an opportunity to bring
people together as a community. It offers a safe and supportive space for anyone affected by pregnancy
and baby loss to share their experiences and find comfort in knowing they are not alone.
“As such, Baby Loss Awareness Week is an important week of the year for Forever Stars, and we thought
a football match between Forever Stars and John Pye would be an excellent way to bring people
together while supporting the cause. I, along with many others at John Pye, have a long-standing
connection with Wollaton Football Club and they generously provide their pitch and clubhouse free of
charge for the Charity Shield.
“The main event is the football match and this kicks-off off at 1pm. Alongside, there will be plenty of fun
activities for families, including raffles, food stalls, and penalty shootouts, making it a great day out for
everyone!
“Ultimately, the day is all about raising awareness of baby loss and money for Forever Stars – the two
matches to date have raised a combined £7000 total, and we hope to boost this already incredible total
amount in 2024.”
Michelle and Richard Daniels created Forever Stars in May 2014 following the stillbirth of their daughter
Emily on 19 December 2013. The charity is dedicated to supporting families living in Nottingham and the
East Midlands who have suffered a stillbirth or infant loss.
All funds raised by Forever Stars during BLAW will go towards its 10 th birthday campaign project,
Supporting 1 in 4. Richard explains: “Ward A23 at Nottingham’s Queens Medical Centre is where around
10 families per day visit when they are having a miscarriage. The demands on the ward are huge but the
resources for families are very limited, so we want to completely revamp their treatment rooms, garden
and waiting room, as part of our 10 year anniversary, to reinforce our core values of supporting local
baby loss families from hospital through to the community.”
Tom adds: “Although John Pye & Sons now operates throughout the UK, we are proud to be a
Nottingham-based company, with our Head Office located in the city. Social value is at the core of our
business, and we actively support numerous charities both in Nottingham and across the country.
Forever Stars is one of our chosen charities, and is a remarkable local organization. The story behind its
founding is deeply heartbreaking, but what Richard and Michelle have built, driven by their tragic loss, is
truly inspiring. We are honored to support their incredible work in any way we can.
“I thoroughly enjoy supporting Forever Stars, and the activities during BLAW are always brilliant,” he
adds. “Since the partnership started my John Pye colleagues and I have supported various activities,
from helping paint one of the rooms at the Serenity Centre at QMC, to volunteering at the Forever Stars
Serenity Garden, donating raffle prizes and supporting the events during BLAW. Our team have got to
know Richard, Michelle and the Forever Stars’ army of volunteers, and listened to their personal stories,
the heartbreak they have gone through, and how they have turned this into a positive. The whole
Forever Stars are inspiring, and it’s an honor to be able to play a small part in helping raise awareness
and funding.”
Forever Stars’ full programme of events for BLAW 2024 is:
Wednesday 9th October – Chasing Stars Quiz Night, Wollaton Sports Association
Thursday 10th October – Cake Sale, Forever Stars Serenity Centre, QMC Nottingham
Friday 11th October – Pink & Blue Day, and One Step at a Time 26-mile fundraising walk
Saturday 12th October – Siblings Workshops and Plant a Pink or Blue Flower
Sunday 13th October – Charity Shield with John Pye, Wollaton Sports Association
Monday 14th October – Make Lemonade Comedy Night, Wellbeck Hall
Tuesday 15th October – Wave of Light; light a candle at 7pm
Forever Stars is a charity dedicated to supporting families living in Nottingham and the wider East
Midlands who have suffered a stillbirth or infant loss. Its mission is to promote and protect the health of
parents affected by stillbirth or other perinatal or neonatal death of their child or children, and in
particular, to relieve suffering and emotional distress amongst such parents. A dedicated team of
volunteers runs the charity, and fundraises and campaigns to improve the bereavement care for
parents, families and their loved ones. Forever Stars was officially given charity status by the Charity
Commission in England (reg no. 1156990) on 9 May 2014. Forever Stars is a member of the Baby Loss
Awareness Alliance.
Baby Loss Awareness Week (BLAW) aims to raise awareness of pregnancy and infant loss, to support
families impacted by baby loss, highlight the importance of bereavement support and the need to
improve pregnancy outcomes and save babies lives. It takes place from 9th – 15th October 2024. More
information available: www.babyloss-awareness.org. This year’s theme is ‘Take Care of Yourself’ and
Forever Stars will be helping families understand it is absolutely fine to feel how they feel and the ways
we can take care of them.
