Central England Co-operative gives families the chance to spend final moments with children

Posted by nathan lloyd | Published: 14/09/2016


GRIEVING families will now be able to spend precious final hours with their babies after they have passed away.

Central England Co-operative Funeralcare has purchased 10 cuddle cots, devices which offer a cooling pad in a Moses basket to keep a baby’s body cool and give relatives more time to say goodbye.

The ground-breaking project will be one of the first of its kind in the funeral business and the cuddle cots will be available across the trading area of Central England Co-operative.

The cuddle cots will form part of The Rainbow Service, which offers a complimentary service for children up to and including 16 years of age.

This means that families do not have to pay for the funeral service but are also not restricted, as the service still offers the family choice and the ability to personalise for their child.

Helen Lee, from Central England Co-operative Funeralcare, said: “We need to remember the journey our families have already been through before we meet them.

“They may have had the opportunity to spend time with their baby in the hospital.

“We want to give them the opportunity to further create memories with their baby when we take their little one into our care.

“By purchasing cuddle cots, we are able to offer parents more time to sit with their child, to take them home for some time before the funeral and, most importantly, to be able to cuddle their baby.

“Providing families with the choice of a cuddle cot is very important. So many of the decisions we make as a Funeralcare provider are with the families in mind and what we believe is the right thing to do.

“We are extremely proud of our Rainbow Service. We can provide complimentary support for parents who have lost a child from 16 years and under. Parents are able to focus their mind on their child and creating memories instead of having to worry about finances. The cuddle cot will now form part of this choice for families who have suffered the loss of a baby.”

The cuddle cots, which are being provided by leading global experts in the devices, are already used by some NHS trusts in the UK.

Simon Rothwell, from the provider, said: “We welcome the partnership between ourselves and Central England Co-operative so that families across its trading estate are provided with cuddle cots to assist them
during such a difficult time.

“Central England Co-operative is to be commended as the first funeral group to provide this equipment to assist their families.”

Cheryl Titherly, Improving Bereavement Care Manager at stillbirth and neonatal charity Sands, said: “The death of a baby during pregnancy, at birth, or after birth is a major bereavement. The care that parents receive around the time that their baby has died has a huge impact on their long-term wellbeing. There is also only a very short window of time that parents have to create precious memories with their baby.

“Cuddle cots are essential bereavement care equipment. They facilitate the choice for parents to take their baby home, and to spend more precious time with them both in and out of the hospital setting.

“Some parents will want to simply spend time with their baby, perhaps taking photos or parenting them. Others will want to introduce their baby to family and friends and create shared memories of their son or daughter.  This is made more possible with this important equipment. They give parents more opportunities to make memories with their baby that will last a lifetime.”

People can find out more about The Rainbow Service by visiting www.centralengland.coop/funeral-services or calling 0800 454 552.

Notes to editors

The cuddle cots will be based out of 10 primary locations across the entire Central England
Co-operative trading estate, but will be available to all funeral homes. They have been
provided by firm Flexmort.

The devices will be based at the following locations:
• Great Brook Street - Birmingham
• Stirchley -Birmingham
• Derby
• Heanor
• Corby
• Humberstone Road -Leicester
• Kings Lynn
• Peterborough
• Lowestoft
• Wellings - Burton


About Central England Co-operative
Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK. It is a modern, forward-looking organisation employing over 8,000 staff, with projected gross sales of £958million for 2016/17. The Society recently celebrated being named Leading Co-operative of the Year 2016 by Co-operatives UK. The Society’s principal areas of activity are food, funeral services, and property. The company’s funeral business consist of over 120 funeral homes across 16 counties, 10 florists, masonry production and administration, Bretby Crematorium and Terry Smiths coffin factory.

Central England Co-operative has more than 430 trading outlets across 16 counties including; West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.  The Society has an ambitious food store and funeral home development programme for 2015/16.
Central England Co-operative is proud of its reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility.  It is a member of Business in the Community, the membership organisation that stands for responsible business, and has also won many business awards for excellence.  The Society supports a number of charities including Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children and invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities.
For more information visit www.centralengland.coop, follow Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, @mycooplife and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative
Rob Smyth / Jo Baldock at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140
Email –publicrelations@centralengland.coop