Charity Bingo night in aid of SiMBA (Simpson’s Memory Box Appeal)

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I am hosting a charity bingo night at Wigtownshire Rugby Club, Stranraer. All proceeds will go directly to supporting SiMBA (Simpson’s Memory Box Appeal) in order to help prevent them closing.

Alongside this, we will also host a raffle with tickets available to purchase on the night and prior to the event. 🎟️🤩

‼️ We would be very grateful for any and all donations kindly offered by friends, family & local businesses. The more/better the prizes, the more tickets we will sell and that means more money raised for such an incredible and worthy charity. Please feel free to tag anyone you think would be willing to help/donate ‼️

🟣 OUR REASON WHY ! (Lengthy one but please read) 🟣

SIMBA (Simpson’s Memory Box Appeal) urgently needs support to avoid closure in as little as 3 months time – this is as a result of spiralling costs and a significant shortfall in fundraising. Since 2005, SiMBA have distributed 50,000 memory boxes, 10,000 of which were donated in 2022 alone. Memory boxes are given to families after the loss of their baby to honour, make memories and treasure forever.

The work of SiMBA goes far beyond memory boxes. It also includes maintaining their Family Rooms and Trees of Tranquillity projects; education around bereavement care in hospitals and the workplace. Their aspiration is that there is true understanding, so bereaved families have the best care and support. They hold events that honour babies no longer with us, showing families that they are not alone in their grief.

To achieve the work of SiMBA, they rely on incredible fundraisers and donors to the charity. In 2022 for the first time ever, due to so many external events in life , and the increase in requests for their Memory Boxes, SiMBA haven’t been able to reach their fundraising target – which is why they have now launched an Urgent Appeal.

Now to get a little personal 👼🏼💕

Fortunately, many people won’t know of SiMBA and won’t have needed their vital services. However, for families like mine, they have been a life line through the darkest unimaginable days. I started 2022 having never heard of SiMBA either but on the 2nd of May 2022, they became a charity we will hold close to our hearts every single day for the rest of our lives. Thanks to SiMBA, we were given the gift of making memories with our Daughter, Lillie when she was born asleep at 3.26pm at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary. When we fell pregnant with Lillie, we imagined the beautiful life we would have with her. Never for a second, did we imagine having to live life without her. We will never get the chance to see who she would have become, to hear her laugh and to make memories as she grows but because of SiMBA, we do have memories to reflect on. We have her hand & footprints in ink, we remember reading her the book they provide “my little star”, while she was in our arms, wrapped so peacefully in the blanket they gave. We have matching knitted teddy bears & butterflies, one with her & one with us. We have an SD card full of pictures, clay imprints in a beautiful frame and so so much more. We faced every parents worst nightmare of leaving the hospital without our baby in our arms but we did leave with our memory box, which to us is now our most valued possession.

These items do not take away the pain of losing our baby girl but they give us comfort every single day, allowing us to keep her close and one day soon, SiMBA has given us the opportunity to share those memories of Lillie with her little brother, who I’m sure will love the book “my little star” just as much as we do.

This is just a glimpse of what SiMBA has given / done for us, as one family but they’ve given the same to 50,000 more and to continue doing so, they need our help now.

I know times are tough for a lot of people at the moment, however if you can, no matter how big or little – please help/support. Even just a wee share!

#saveSiMBA #inmemoryofLillie #urgentappeal #charitybingo #raffle

https://www.simbacharity.org.uk/what-we-do/