‘We hope this Telford memorial garden offers comfort to all families who have experienced pregnancy loss’

A Telford couple who lost a baby through miscarriage have opened a memorial garden in their hometown to provide a quiet place for parents who have lost a baby to grieve.

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Shaun Pickering’s partner Katie Stuart had a miscarriage in September 2024 but the pair found nowhere in the area that they could go to mourn their loss.

“Through that difficult time, we met some truly inspiring people and learned more about the incredible work of George & Ada’s Foundation at the Princess Royal Hospital. From that point on, we made it our mission to create a meaningful space for the people of Telford & Wrekin,” said Shaun.

They set up the Pickering Foundation to create the memorial garden, named ‘Little Footprints in the Sky’, which they opened on Saturday in Jubilee Woods in Dawley Bank with VIP guests including the local MP and mayor.

“Our hope is that this memorial garden offers comfort to all families who have experienced pregnancy loss, at any stage. Set within a peaceful woodland, surrounded by nature and wildlife, it provides a quiet place to reflect, remember, and feel close to loved ones,” said Shaun.

“We would like to extend our deepest thanks to Great Dawley Town Council for their unwavering support and for allowing us to bring this project to life in Jubilee Woods. Without their backing, this space would not have been possible.

“There are so many people to thank for their support over the past year. Our fundraising events at Morton Court and Apley Court were vital, made possible by the generosity of talented individuals who gave their time to perform and support us.

“We were also incredibly fortunate to receive funding during the transformation of the memorial area, including support from Housing Plus Group Community Fund, contributions from Councillor Elise Davies and Shaun Davies MP for Telford, also match funding from Great Dawley Town Council, and a grant from the Idverde Community Investment Fund, and thanks to Councillor Carolyn Healy. This support helped us bring the project over the line and open it today.

“We’re equally grateful to the many people who volunteered their time and effort on site — colleagues, local supporters, landscapers from Prime Service, and operatives from R1 Construction — all of whom played a part in creating this beautiful space.

“Special thanks also go to Leavier Limited, whose support at the very beginning helped shape the memorial area and set us on this journey.

“Throughout the past twelve months, alongside organising several fundraising events, we also held our Pickering Raffles — which played a huge part in helping us raise additional funds.

“We were incredibly fortunate to have the support of some truly amazing companies, whose generous prize donations made a real difference to our fundraising efforts.

“We are so grateful to everyone who contributed and supported the raffles — we really can’t thank you enough for helping us bring this project to life.

“From all of us at the Pickering Foundation, thank you for your continued support. We truly hope this garden brings comfort, peace, and a place of remembrance for families across our community.”