Havering has once again marked Baby Loss Awareness Week with a special ceremony at Havering Town Hall, Romford.
Parents and families joined the Mayor of Havering, Councillor Maggie Themistocli, to commemorate much-missed babies at the Ceremony of Remembrance on Monday 12 October 2026.
Attendees were invited to light LED candles and place personalised written messages on tree branches outside Havering Town Hall.
Now in its 24th year, Baby Loss Awareness Week takes place nationally from 9 to 15 October 2026.
The annual campaign provides an important opportunity to raise awareness of pregnancy and baby loss, recognise the lasting emotional impact on parents and families, and highlight the importance of compassionate bereavement support.
The Mayor of Havering, Councillor Maggie Themistocli, said:
"The loss of a baby is a heartbreak that no parent should ever have to endure.
"It is the loss not only of a precious life, but of a lifetime of hopes, dreams and moments that will never come to be.
"Every baby, however brief their time with us, leaves an everlasting imprint on the hearts of those who love them.
"Their lives may have been heartbreakingly short, but the love they inspired is immeasurable and will never fade.
"Our Ceremony of Remembrance was an incredibly moving occasion, bringing families together in a shared moment of love, reflection and remembrance.
"As we lit candles and remembered these precious little lives, we were reminded that although grief is deeply personal, no family should ever have to carry it alone.
"Baby Loss Awareness Week is about far more than remembrance.
"It is about breaking the silence that so often surrounds baby loss, recognising the unimaginable pain experienced by bereaved parents and ensuring that compassion, understanding and support is always available.
"As Mayor of Havering, I want every family who has experienced this devastating loss to know that their baby matters, their grief matters, and their child will never be forgotten.
"Some of the smallest feet leave the deepest footprints on our hearts."