Hi, I’m Tracey, and I used to be an infant school teacher.

After making the decision to leave the profession early, I began looking for volunteering opportunities to enable me to support the community. After volunteering in a local school for 2 years, supporting children with their reading, I volunteered as a gardener at Wollaton Hall Park (and still do!).

Gardening is something that I really love doing, and I knew about the Serenity Garden and wanted to get involved.

My Grandma suffered the loss of her first child in the 1940s, and I know the impact that this had on my mum (losing her then only sibling).

More recently, I found out that my late in-laws’ second child was stillborn back in the early 1970s; baby loss just wasn’t talked about, a time when people would cross the street away from the grieving parents, so I guess volunteering with Forever Stars at the Serenity Garden was the natural choice for me… a place for my own quiet reflection too, of the Auntie I would have had and the sister-in-law I would have known.

If I can make just a small difference in the garden amongst the massive difference that Forever Stars as a whole makes, helping to ensure that babies aren’t forgotten and that their parents and families are supported, then I know I’m doing the right thing.

I’ve been volunteering at the garden for about a year now. I love the banter amongst the team and especially smiled on the occasion when Dan gave me the title of ‘planting director’ during a corporate volunteer day, funny!

More recently, I have progressed to supporting at other Forever Stars charity events and have enjoyed getting to know more of the amazing volunteers and feeling part of something really special!