More than 5,000 butterflies crocheted in support of Baby Loss Awareness Week

Local crochet enthusiasts have created a total of 5,936 butterfly keepsakes in support of Lincolnshire Co-op’s campaign to highlight Baby Loss Awareness Week, which runs annually from October 9 to 15.

These butterflies are available for people to collected from Lincolnshire Co-op funeral homes throughout October and keep as a poignant keepsake.

The Co-op’s colleagues and customers created the butterflies for Baby Loss Awareness Week, which aims to encourage open conversation around the issues that affect people who have lost a baby.

Any not collected will be donated to maternity wards and local branches of Sands, a national charity that provides support services to bereaved parents and families impacted by this issue.

The society’s funeral colleagues will also be participating in the campaign’s global Wave of Light, lighting candles in branch and at their own homes as a mark of respect.

Lincolnshire Co-op’s Funeral Commercial Support Manager Jessica Wilson said: “We have been overwhelmed by the community’s response to this campaign and we’re so grateful to our colleagues and customers for their efforts.

“Charities and members of the public have already started collecting the butterflies for memorial services. We hope they will provide comfort to those who need it.”

Lincolnshire Co-op has 21 branches across the county, and here in Horncastle, a whopping 450 butterflies were created – the fourth highest number in the county – with one of the biggest donations more than 100 butterflies made by St Mary’s Church’s craft group.

Rev. Lynne Hawkins, the Curate of the Horncastle Group of churches, said: “We always encourage our members to get involved in local initiatives, and last year we knitted hats for ECHO.

"Our members were really keen to get involved with this initiative, and one of our members made 50 all by herself!”

Across our other local branches, Coningsby’s Lincolnshire Co-op funeral home collected 84 butterflies, while Spilsby’s collected 263 and Market Rasen a whopping 632 – the second largest in the county behind Lincoln (1,336).

Elsewhere, the branches in Alford and Louth both collected 249, while Mablethorpe collected 110 and Sutton on Sea 191.