Work on our purpose-built bereavement centre, Woodland House, reached a new height yesterday (1 Aug 2023) as we held a private ‘topping out’ event to celebrate the completion of the roof’s construction. 

This latest development, a centuries-old tradition, marked a major milestone in the build of our standalone baby and pregnancy loss bereavement centre, the first of its kind in a UK hospital setting. 

Funded entirely by charitable donations, Woodland House is a much-needed new space, which will support over 2,000 grieving mums and dads every year who may have lost a baby through miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death at our hospital. 

Key representatives from our Women’s Hospital including Daljit Athwal, our chief nursing and midwifery officer, Rachel Carter, our director of midwifery, and Alison Rea, our senior bereavement midwife, were joined by our charity CEO, Mark Brider, members of our estates team and Woodland House’s contractor, Building Services Now, to mark the final stage of construction. 

With this exciting milestone reached and the exterior structure of Woodland House now complete, work has turned to the installation of the windows and ensuring the building is watertight ahead of completion later this year. 

When open, Woodland House will feature separate and private access from the hospital. It will boast bespoke counselling rooms, a private garden, a large communal lounge area for support groups, and a family room with its own private access and garden. It will also have a private and sensitive viewing room for families returning to see their baby, offering families the opportunity to spend time with their loved ones in comfort and serenity. 

Fundraising for Woodland House continues so internally we can create a home away from home space for families experiencing the heartbreak of pregnancy and baby loss at our hospital. 

Find out more about the Woodland House Appeal or make a donation online. Or to donate £5, text WOODLAND to 70970 (standard terms apply).