A Night to Remember: Memory Walk to support the bereaved
Kingston Hospital Charity is calling on the local community to raise funds to support bereaved families at Kingston Hospital, by taking part in their Night to Remember event this Autumn.
The event, which is taking place on Saturday 10 September, is Kingston Hospital Charity’s first memory walk, providing an opportunity for family, friends, and colleagues to come together and celebrate the lives of loved ones, whilst walking a route of 5 miles or 15 miles, starting and finishing at the Market Place in Kingston.
Proceeds from the sponsored walk will help Kingston Hospital to expand its support for bereaved families.
Husband and wife, Garett and Alison Farrell, from Wimbledon will be taking part in a Night to Remember along with their eight-month-old son Axel, in memory of their first child, Finn.
Alison said: “Our first baby, Finn, was born sleeping in August 2020 after a cord accident at 20 weeks. Words cannot describe our grief and how hard it was to give birth to and say goodbye to our little boy all in the space of a few dreadful days. Thankfully we were in 
the amazing hands of the Kingston Maternity Unit team in the purpose-built Daisy Room, which made this incredibly hard time bearable and gave us a chance to say a proper goodbye.
“Since then, we have been blessed with a second son, Axel (middle name Finn), and again the wonderful people of Kingston Maternity Unit carried us through the worries of this pregnancy with extra special care. We’re forever indebted to them for the support they gave us, which means we’re here today as a happy family unit. We will be taking part in a Night to Remember for our darling Finn, but also for all the other babies and families affected by loss who are never forgotten.”
Clinical psychologist and Founder and CEO of the Loss Foundation, Dr Erin Hope Thompson MBE, provides support to bereaved families at Kingston Hospital’s maternity unit. A £100 donation or sponsorship raised for Kingston Hospital Charity, funds one session with Erin for a bereaved family. Erin commented:
“Experiencing the death of a child is life altering, and not having support in place can be hugely isolating and can put people at risk of further mental health struggles. It is my privilege to provide a space for people to talk, to get support, to keep connection to their baby, and to manage anxiety around future pregnancies. Thank you for taking part in a Night to Remember and helping us to continue to support people during the most difficult times in their lives.”
This important service is one that the hospital would like to be able to extend to bereaved families, but this is not covered by NHS funding and so it is hoped that the the Memory Walk on Saturday 10 September will help raise funds to benefit the maternity, end-of life care team and the Chaplaincy and pastoral support team.
Fr Eugene Lugah MSP is the Roman Catholic Chaplain team at Kingston Hospital. He and his fellow priest, Fr Francis Olaseni MSP from St Agatha’s parish in Kingston, are supported by a group of volunteer Roman Catholic Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist to ensure that patients and their families receive the Sacraments at times of illness and bereavement. He writes:
“The passing of a loved one always leaves us with a great sense of loss. By supporting Night to Remember, our memory walk, you will be lightening the burden of the bereaved and keeping the memories of the departed alive. Thank you for your support and we very much look forward to welcoming you on this special walk.”
Registration for the event costs £20 for adults and £10 for children, and each participant will receive a t-shirt and a medal.
For more information or to sign up, visit www.khc.org.uk/events/nighttoremember/ or contact Fundraising Manager, Tracey Shaw:
About Kingston Hospital Charity:
Charitable donations to Kingston Hospital Charity help provide a quality of care that is over and above what is possible with NHS funding alone. Kingston Hospital Charity supports Kingston Hospital by raising the monies needed to: fund high quality clinical research; help transform parts of the hospital estate that require additional investment to create patient-centred spaces, designed to deliver the best quality of care possible; purchase the latest medical equipment for better diagnosis and treatment; and recognise the dedication and caring commitment of staff by supporting their development and wellbeing.
