A MIDWIFE from Airedale Hospital in Steeton who supports bereaved families was one of five finalists in the first ever awards run by safer pregnancy charity the Mums and Midwives Awareness Academy (MAMA).

Bev Beaumont, a bereavement support midwife, was up for specialist midwife of the year for her work with the Sunbeam Support Group which offers support to bereaved families across Craven and Keighley.

And although she missed out on the award at the ceremony, which was held virtually, she said it was an honour to have reached the final of the competition, entered by health care professionals from across the country and aimed at celebrating the work carried out by those working towards safer pregnancies.

She said: “I was deeply humbled by my kind nomination and very surprised by it.The work we do in supporting bereaved families is a privilege and vital that it’s done to a very high standard. I work with a great team and am very proud of all we do in supporting our bereaved community."

The Sunbeam Support Group provides support for anyone who has experienced the loss of a baby or young child. Parents can meet other families in similar situations, talk about their loss, and discuss coping mechanisms.

Run by Airedale midwives, the group offers not only a wealth of experience and advice for bereaved parents, but a substantial amount of grief-related resources, including a lending library which allows parents to borrow books related to the topic of baby loss.

The hospital also has a Sunbeam garden with a SiMBA tree of Tranquility, where parents can add leaves with the names of their children, offering them the opportunity to honour their baby in a simple, quiet way.

Bev, one of the founders of the group, was described in her nomination as 'professional, kind, caring and outstanding as a midwife as well as a bereavement midwife', and by giving 110 per cent. Her nominator added: 'the families have so much trust in Bev as she is so approachable.'

She also worked with SiMBA to be able to get the first tree of tranquillity in England, in a specially made Sunbeam garden for families to be able to have time to sit and reflect in a safe space.

There will be a Christmas event in the Sunbeam Garden at Airedale Hospital from 5pm on December 21, where families can go and place a bauble on the Sunbeam Christmas tree and be together. For more information go to https://www.facebook.com/sunbeamsupportkeighley/.