Plymouth Community Homes (PCH) has teamed up with Luna’s Fund for the next 12 months to raise funds to help the charity provide practical and emotional support to bereaved parents in Devon & Cornwall.
Following a vigorous selection process, staff selected Luna’s Fund as their Charity of the Year for 2024 following a company-wide employee vote and final vote on the shortlist by our Executive Management Team.
Last year, Luna’s Fund was given a spotlight in our ‘Plympsirational’ feature in InTouch, our quarterly resident magazine, which shared the story of the charity which was founded in 2018 by Aimee and Ryan following the loss of their first born daughter Luna in 2017.
As a charity, Luna’s Fund has a mission to protect, empower and positively impact the mental and physical health and well-being of parents experiencing baby loss. The charity’s vision is to empower a generation of well-equipped and well-informed bereaved parents who feel confident, supported and motivated to break the baby loss taboo; to celebrate their baby and to champion better bereavement care.
Luna’s Fund offers support to bereaved parents in a number of ways, including relaxing getaways, food shopping deliveries, nursery redecoration, pregnancy after loss, private antenatal scans, negligence support, through a ‘Mindfulness Hub’, online support groups, and so much more.
Since the charity began, the fund has provided 41 relaxing getaways for bereaved parents and booked 68 private antenatal scans for parents experiencing the anxieties and worries of pregnancy following a previous baby loss.
There are a number of glowing case studies on the charity’s website which demonstrate the impact of its support.
Aimee Conroy, Chief Executive Officer at Luna’s Fund, visited Plumer House to meet Jonathan Cowie, Chief Executive at PCH and was presented with a £500 cheque as an initial donation to kick-start the fundraising support.
Jonathan Cowie said: “It is a pleasure to be able to support Luna’s Fund this year, and help the team to provide compassionate, tailored support to bereaved parents in the South West.
“We look forward to kickstarting our fundraising efforts for the year ahead with a new group of volunteer steering group members at PCH working on ideas to help us raise money, and working with Aimee to generate as much money as possible for the parents they are supporting.
“The team at PCH is hugely passionate about supporting local charities and I’m confident they’ll do all they can to raise money for Luna’s Fund in the year ahead.”
Aimee Conroy said: “On behalf of myself, the trustee Board of Luna’s Fund, and all of the families we support - thank you PCH!
“We would like to express our gratitude to the colleagues of Plymouth Community Homes for nominating us as their Charity of the Year, with a special heartfelt thanks to the Executive Management Board for selecting our charity from the final shortlist, and supporting bereaved families in Plymouth and the surrounding areas.
“As a local charity, we are determined to fill a large void in the baby loss and pregnancy loss community. Not only do we help parents rebuild themselves and their lives after baby loss, but we empower them to say their babies’ names with confidence and pride to break the overarching taboo that surrounds the uncomfortable reality of baby loss.
“We work tirelessly to educate professionals and the public by sharing our personal story and the perspective of the parents we support. Bridging the gap between parents and professionals is the key to improving the next generation of baby bereavement care.
“We were over the moon to meet with Jonathan Cowie and receive an initial £500 donation! This incredibly generous gesture will be used towards funding the next relaxing getaway in April for parents who need our support.
“These getaways offer an opportunity for parents to escape to either a hotel or log cabin location in Cornwall for 2-3 nights free of charge. Giving parents this breathing space allows them to reflect, relax and reconnect away from their harsh reality.
“Our charity relies solely on donations, fundraising, small grants and partnerships with local people and businesses. Without the backing and support of PCH, this wouldn’t be possible. Thank you for choosing us and for allowing us to do what we do best.”
Read more about Luna’s Fund and hear more from Aimee in our Plymspirational feature.
Throughout the year, PCH will be raising money for Luna’s Fund through a variety of events, sharing updates about the fundraising efforts of staff on our website and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
During 2023 and 2024, PCH raised over £7,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association, with the charity chosen in memory of a much-missed and popular staff member.
In previous years, PCH has supported several charities including Gables Dogs and Cats Home, Woodside Animal Sanctuary, St Luke’s Hospice, Devon and Cornwall Food Action, Age UK, Jerimiah’s Journey and many more.
