Winter remembering day 2025

On Sunday, 7th December, some of the Footprints community came together for our winter memorial event. The lead-up to the festive season can be especially difficult for those who have experienced loss and our aim was to provide a supportive space to remember our babies.

The event was held at Headington Hill Hall in Oxford, part of Oxford Brooks University. The beautiful Georgian building , with its colonnade overlooking the formal gardens, provided a serene and welcoming setting. We were grateful to see attendees from across the country, including surviving twins and siblings.

After tea and coffee on arrival, the remembrance service began. Sharon and Suzie welcomed everyone,  followed by a moving performance of “Tears In Heaven” by Sharon’s daughter Jess. Following this, two poems were read aloud, including one by Katie, twin mum to Elsie and Daisy, which she had originally written for their funeral.

During the service, we listened to some other songs recorded by Jess, whilst we lit candles and placed them at the front, saying our babies names and taking a quiet moment of reflection. Sharon then read the children’s book ‘Guess How Much I Love You’ by Sam McBratney and the siblings and surviving twins present joined in singing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, a very special moment. The service concluded outside on the colonnade, where we blew bubbles in memory of our twins and triplets. 

Following the service, we enjoyed lunch together and took part in memory-making activities, including decorating baubles, painting pebbles, and creating winter jars with floating candles to take home in remembrance of our babies.

As always, coming together in person made the day incredibly special – emotional, yet comforting and uniting. We are grateful for the kind feedback we’ve received and look forward to hosting next year’s event.A special thank you to The Doris Field Charitable Trust, whose generous grant helped make this beautiful day possible.