Published: Wednesday, 13th November 2024
Mintlyn Crematorium, which is owned and managed by the borough council, has raised £11,600 to donate to the charity CRADLE.
The charity has a national team of volunteers, CRADLE Ambassadors, who have lived experience of pregnancy loss or termination. The charity also has Corporate Partners who provide volunteer hours and donate toiletries to their CRADLE Comfort Bag project. More than 15,000 Comfort Bags and 20,000 Sonographer and Methotrexate Packs have been donated nationally to the NHS and have been made available to patients receiving clinical care.
The money has been raised through a charitable scheme, operated by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM), of which Mintlyn is a member. Under the scheme metal from medical implants is recycled after cremation, with the consent of the family of the deceased. Twice a year the institute asks its scheme members to nominate local charities, which help to support people to cope with the death of loved ones, to receive a donation.
Cllr Bal Anota, Cabinet member for Property and Corporate Services, at the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, said: “Cradle charity deals with heartbreaking pregnancy loss or termination. The lived experience that their ambassadors have means that they can give invaluable support to those going through it. Since establishing themselves four years ago at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn they have helped many West Norfolk families.
“Mintlyn Crematorium has now donated more than £170,000 to support charities through this charitable scheme and I hope people who are bereaved take comfort from that.”
Nikki Shield, Connected Project Coordinator at Cradle Charity, said: “Cradle work with local hospitals and provide comfort bags filled with donated toiletries for anyone who has had an unexpected admission to hospital. We have an online peer support group that helps people who may feel isolated and want to speak to others who understand the experience they’re going through.
“This donation will make a huge difference to our charity. I see every week the benefit that we give to people needing support at a difficult time. You don’t need to go through this alone and I recommend that you visit cradlecharity.org to find out what we do and how we can help.”
To qualify for donations from the scheme, charities are selected on the basis they have to assist the bereaved or those who are terminally ill.