HUNDREDS enjoyed a family race day at Upton Country Park on Sunday organised by a bereaved mum in aid of the local baby loss charity SPRING.

More than 400 people took part in the event, many entering more than one of the three races on the day, and staying long into the afternoon to enjoy the sunshine.

See pictures of the 1.5k fun run in a gallery

As well as the10k and 5k races, there was a 1.5k fun run, plus a Segway area, face painting, stalls and a bouncy castle.

The day was organised by Sarah Lister from Christchurch in aid of SPRING, a local charity which helps parents and families through the loss of a baby during pregnancy, at birth or just after birth. The charity was a lifeline for her and her partner Steve Andrews following the devastating loss of their son Fraser, who was stillborn at full-term in August 2013.

After they raised £8,500 for SPRING in their son’s memory running a local 10k, Sarah decided to organise her own event, with help from her running club Bournemouth Joggers.

“It’s gone incredibly well,” she told the Echo, thanking the volunteer organising committee of 10 and the 60 volunteer marshals on the day. "The feedback has been absolutely brilliant, people have finished the races smiling, they are all here with their children, everyone is taking part. There has been a really family-friendly atmosphere which is exactly what we wanted to create.”

Sarah, who is expecting a baby in a few months time, estimates the event will have raised at least £8,000 for the charity which has meant so much to her family and many others in Dorset.

“I hate that they have to exist but at the same time they really are a lifeline," she added. "They have given me the mechanisms to survive and when I look around at the people who have come to support today, they have got that from SPRING as well."

SPRING works closely with St Mary’s Maternity Hospital in Poole to provide two SPRING suites where families can spend precious time with their babies, and offers dedicated bereavement support both at hospital and when they return home. It also runs monthly support meetings, provides professional counselling, and organises events where families can come together to remember their babies.

Thanks to sponsorship from Nationwide Building Society, as well as support from Asda, Running Memories, Purple HR and Active Therapy South, all the race entry fees and sponsorship will go straight to the charity.