HUGs All Round as Shooting Star Chooses Charity for 2021

A Nottinghamshire organisation which supports people and families who have lost a baby has been chosen as Shooting Star’s Charity of the Year for 2021.

Help Us Grieve (HUG) was set up in 2017 by mum Amy Everatt after she lost two babies within a 12 month period.

After leaving hospital each time she discovered there was little emotional support available and found it difficult to talk about her loss.

She and her husband Oliver, who now have two healthy daughters, Lilia (9) and Elfine (3), set up a JustGiving page to raise money to start Help Us Grieve.

Now they have a website and an app to signpost people to help and support after they have lost a baby.

“I’m chuffed to bits to have been chosen by Shooting Star,” said Amy. “Everyone’s had such a tough time in the past year so I’m so grateful and overwhelmed that HUG has been chosen.

“I’m so passionate about raising awareness of all the different services that are available as it can be hard to get help and support, so I’m really delighted that Shooting Star are going to be working with us this year.”

Jez Ashberry, a Director at Shooting Star, said: “Every year we support a different good cause and help them make a difference by offering free PR and marketing support for 12 months.

“We also do our best to raise money for our charity and we’ll be looking at how we can do that again this year.

“The work that HUG does really resonated with us all and it was an easy decision to adopt them as our chosen charity for the coming year.

“It’s been a tough year for the charity sector as Covid-19 has adversely affected events and fund-raising activities. But Amy has got lots of great ideas and we’re looking forward to helping her take HUG to new heights this year!”

If you would like your charity to be considered next year send an email to hello@weareshootingstar.co.uk.

Amy Everatt, founder of Help Us Grieve, with her husband Oliver Everatt and their two daughters, Lilia and Elfine Everatt