A SERVICE of remembrance will be held for families, couples and individuals affected by the loss of a baby.

The service will be held at Wimborne Minster on Sunday, July 9, at 3pm.

It is open to anyone who lost a baby during pregnancy, at birth or in infancy as well as those grieving never being able to have children.

The service is organised by baby loss charity Mariposa Trust and returns to Wimborne in its 10th anniversary year.

The charity was founded by Zoe and Andy Clark-Coates who suffered the loss of five babies.

They saw a lack of support for parents like them and wanted to give families the space to grieve for their lost babies.

Mariposa Trust CEO Zoe Clark-Coates MBE said: "Our services are a wonderful opportunity for mothers, fathers, siblings and extended family to say goodbye to their babies and show they are truly loved they are.

"Our job at the Mariposa Trust is to ensure every child is recognised, however fleeting their existence.”

The ‘Saying Goodbye’ services, are open to people of faith or no faith and for those who have lost recently or decades ago.

They feature music, poems, acts of remembrance and more, and have been attended by thousands of people.

Zoe said: “We invite anyone who has gone through or been affected by baby loss, to join us for this special event.”

Baby loss affects around one in four pregnancies each year in the UK, with nearly 700 babies lost each day.

The Mariposa Trust provides free support to people affected by baby loss, pregnancy after baby loss, fertility, adoption and more.

The trust has become the leading support charity in this field, with more than 50,000 people each week accessing support.