Baby Beat

04/09/2026

Thank you so much to all involved at the PNE Community and Education Trust for the wonderful support of our NICU, maternity unit and children's ward here at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust! The Giant Scarf Project is such a lovely, thoughtful community project 🥰🙏

What began as a celebration of Preston, its communities and North End has become something that will bring comfort to local families. 🤍💙

Parts of PNECET’s Giant Scarf have been given a new purpose by our Legacy Knitting Group, who have transformed the wool into blankets, baby hats and other items for the children's ward and neonatal intensive care unit at Royal Preston Hospital. 🤝

🔗 https://bit.ly/PNECET-Scarf-Donation

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03/09/2026

Are you joining us for our annual Walk to Remember this October, in Preston's Avenham Park? 🌳🍂

The event takes place on Sunday October 11th as part of our activities, through which we're raising funds to help make a real difference for local families, cared for here at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, who sadly have to go through the heartache of losing a baby 🙏

Our annual stroll around the park's scenic gardens is a family-friendly way to honour loved ones no longer with us, while helping to support other local families who have sadly experienced the loss of a baby. The one-mile route starts at the park's Pavilion Café at 11am, followed by refreshments, and it's perfect for pushchairs and wheelchairs too.

To join the walk we are asking for a suggested donation of £10 per family, £5 for an adult, and £2.50 for a child, or any alternative donation of your choice. Your donations will help us fund more projects to help those families who have to say goodbye to their babies too soon 🧡

Would you like to walk with us, or know someone who might? To find out more, please take a look at our website: https://babybeat.org.uk/baby-loss-awareness-week/ 🙏

02/09/2026

There's still time to sign up for our NHS Big Climb! Are you joining us and our Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Charity friends this Sunday, 6th September?🤩🧗‍♀️

You can reach new heights with us in this fun charity challenge, and you'll be helping raise crucial funds in support of the babies and their families cared for in the maternity, neonatal, and gynae units at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust when they need it the most 🥰

Make each climb count! Challenge yourself to climb as high (and as often) as you can within 30 minutes, with your team of up to six people - so this event is perfect for groups friends, families, or colleagues!

Find out more, or register now: https://babybeat.org.uk/get-involved/the-nhs-big-climb/

30/08/2026

Thank you so much to Rob Clay, who took on a tough 106.2 mile “Stage o’ t’Tour” cycle for us and raised a fab £450! 🧡

🚴 Rob, a keen cyclist who works as a senior technician at Preston’s BMW garage, took his inspiration from 2014’s Tour de France which had its opening stage winding around the valleys of North Yorkshire as the race peloton cycled from Leeds to Harrogate, climbing 8,500ft.

Rob decided to emulate the stage’s climbs and difficulty but to bring the route closer to home so he could start and finish in Preston. He and his friend Ian Harcourt set out at 7am last Saturday to pedal to Lancaster, Kendal and Kirkby Lonsdale before heading back through the Forest of Bowland, summiting Jeffrey Hill ahead of a final leg from Longridge to home. Rob said: “It was about 8.15 pm when we got back.

“We had some fuel stops and rest breaks but spent over nine and a half hours actually in the saddle. We had 12 climbs in total, the steepest of which was Jeffrey Hill. That whole return leg until we reached Longridge was really tough but I wanted to do something to support Baby Beat, which is a cause close to mine and my wife Katy’s hearts.”

Rob, who now shares a two-year-old daughter with Katy, added: “Katy and I struggled to have children and went through a lot of heartache with repeat miscarriages. We’d both like to thank everyone who has supported our Baby Beat fundraising.”

We hugely appreciate your support, Rob - and well done with the challenge! 🙏👏

28/08/2026

Fancy a challenge you can really sink your teeth into? 🥾🇷🇴🧛

We're joining our friends and colleagues at Baby Beat and Rosemere Cancer Foundation on the charity trek of a lifetime in the Transylvanian Alps - and we'd love you to join us!

The multi-day trek, which takes place from 25 September to 1 October 2027, follows winding woodland paths, crosses alpine grasslands, and hikes over rugged mountain landscapes in the stunning Romanian countryside.

Ending at the historic, iconic Bran Castle 🏰, you’ll gain a unique insight into local Romanian culture and discover the legend of Dracula, as well as experiencing the stunning Carpathian views, and you’ll be helping to raise crucial funds in support of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Have we piqued your interest? 👀

If this might be the challenge for you, we'll be hosting a presentation evening for the event on Thursday 17 September here in the Rosemere Coffee Shop at Royal Preston Hospital.

You'll have the opportunity to come along, chat to our team, eat a few biscuits, and find out more about the challenge to see if it's something you want to get involved in!

✨ Fancy finding out more?

Register for our free-to-attend, no-obligation-to-actually-trek presentation evening here: https://www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/120414

21/08/2026

Earlier this month, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Charity and Baby Beat were delighted to be charity partners, alongside Rosemere Cancer Foundation, at the City Of Preston road races 🏃‍♀️🏃🏻

Our amazing runners took on either the 5-mile or 10-mile route, and we’re so pleased to say that, so far, they’ve raised an incredible £783.75! 👏

A huge thank you to everyone who took part and chose to run in support of our charities. Your fundraising will help us continue to support patients, families and staff across Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

And a special thank you to event organiser Mick Brennand for his fantastic support throughout the event and for helping make it such a brilliant day.

We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who ran, fundraised and supported us - thank you! 🥰

19/08/2026

Congratulations to our fabulous Team Blossom - made up of midwives Linda Hodkinson and Sophie Barnes and maternity support worker Michelle Butterworth - who have been selected as finalists for the "Health, Wellbeing & Inclusion Award" for the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Our People Awards 2026! 🙌🌸

👩‍🍼 The service is aimed at providing wraparound care for Preston, Chorley and South Ribble’s youngest parents - mums-to-be and new mums aged up to 19-years-old and their partners. The unique service is currently funded by us with a £199,800 grant from NHS Charities Together’s Innovation Challenge Fund. It ensures that every young mum or couple has their own named midwife to look after them from their first antenatal booking-in appointment through all their pregnancy check-ups, birth and post birth.

Between 130 and 140 women under the age of 20 from our area give birth each year - and the team have made SUCH a difference to their family's wellbeing 👏

🤞 Best of luck to you with the awards later this year - in our eyes, it couldn't go to a more deserving team!

(And you can read more about Team Blossom and the work they do over on our website: https://babybeat.org.uk/preston-to-have-north-wests-first-young-parent-maternity-service/ 🧡)

18/08/2026

Have you signed up for our NHS Big Climb yet?!🤩🧗‍♀️

You can reach new heights with us in this fun challenge on Sunday 6th September, and you'll be helping raise crucial funds in support of the babies and their families cared for in the maternity, neonatal, and gynae units at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust when they need it the most 🥰

Make each climb count! Climb as high (and as often) as you can within 30 minutes, with your team of up to six people - so this event is perfect for groups friends, families, or colleagues!

Find out more, or sign up to climb now: https://babybeat.org.uk/get-involved/the-nhs-big-climb/ 🧡

17/08/2026

📣 Could you help us?

Our Baby Beat shop, which sells gifts and snacks here on the Sharoe Green Maternity Unit at Royal Preston Hospital, relies on our fantastic team of volunteers to help it run smoothly. They serve our customers and colleagues with a smile, helping to raise crucial funds - funds that support life-changing charitable projects for the benefit of the babies, mums, and mums-to-be cared for on our wards and units at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 🤗🧡

Unfortunately, we're in need of a few more volunteers to join our friendly team, to both cover regular shifts and act as shop cover on an ad-hoc basis.

Might you have the time to help us, or know someone who may be interested? 🙏

At present our volunteers work 2-hour shifts (10am-12pm, 12pm-2pm & 2pm-4pm) every weekday. We currently have a vacancy on the Wed 10am shift, and we often struggle for ad-hoc cover across all shifts too, if the regular volunteers can't make their usual times.

🤗 The role involves serving customers and restocking the shop shelves. No experience is necessary, as you'll have all the training you need - we just need a helpful, friendly person who wants a worthwhile volunteering role that really makes a difference!

Might you be able to help? If so, please call the Baby Beat office on 01772 524414 or email [email protected] - the team will give you all the information you'll need to register as a volunteer, and answer any queries you may have! Thank you! 🙏🥰

11/08/2026

Thanks so much to Beth Hardacre, who recently celebrated her 30th birthday and chose to use the milestone to show her support for us. She succeeded in raising an amazing £738.75, including the Gift Aid! 🤗🎉

Beth kindly chose to raise funds for us in memory of her nephew Theo, with whom she shares a birthday month.

This July, Theo would have been nine years old. Sadly, he was born sleeping, and his family was looked after by our maternity bereavement colleagues here at the Royal Preston Hospital. The funds Beth has raised through her birthday donations will go to support our Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust maternity bereavement services, to help provide a little comfort for other families who themselves have to go through the heartache of baby loss.

Thank you for thinking of us, Beth, we hugely appreciate the kind support 🧡🙏