OWF: a charity you need to know about (by Safari, Davison High School)
Did you know that one in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage or stillbirth? Furthermore, the rate of baby losses is not improving as recent data (confirmed by ONS) shows that the stillbirth rate has increased by 0.3% (in 2021) after a reassuring decline in recent years. Shocking statistics like these underscore how important it is for us to pay attention to those affected by baby loss, whether it is ourselves or our loved ones Oscar’s Wish Foundation (OWF) is a charity that helps to do just that!
So who is Oscar’s Wish Foundation? OWF is a charity that supports families who have experienced a baby loss at the hands of Gemma Kybert. During our interview, Gemma says:
After losing Oscar, I founded OWF to raise awareness and leave a legacy for him. I wanted to help others so they wouldn’t have to go through what I did.
What services does OWF offer?
OWF offers a range of family services to guide you and your loved ones through grief: pregnancy loss counseling, bereavement support for parents, bereavement support for children and more! Working primarily with the Princess Royal Hospital (in Haywards Heath) and the Royal Sussex County Hospital (in Brighton), they support families with advice – including for midwives – annual training for hospital staff (including how to improve hospital care) and Training with nursing students, e.g. B. to prepare for follow-up care.
With the wide range of offers of help, things have not always gone smoothly for Gemma and her trustees, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic (2019-2021). During our interview, Gemma revealed that the charity had been hit hard by the virus and had suffered a major drop in income: they lost £45,000 the first year and 90% less the following year. COVID-19 also impacted how they were able to raise money as supporters could no longer raise funds (through actions like bake sales and marathons) and Gemma explained that they are “still catching up”.
Unfortunately, her client base increased during COVID-19 as the increasing number of patients – as more babies died – could not get to hospitals and were then referred to OWF, creating a dilemma for the charity.
Despite some obstacles that OWF has faced over the years, they have been very successful over the 8 years. They’ve won awards like the Community Hero Award (November 2015), the Courage Award (2019), and the Community Hero Award in 2022 (including an embroidered seat made especially for the charity in the AMEX!).
https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/23284555.owf-charity-need-know-safari-davison-high-school/?ref=rss OWF: a charity you need to know about (by Safari, Davison High School)
