A pioneering project that supports mothers who experience milk production after the loss of a baby has won two national awards from the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).

The Memory Milk Gift Initiative was recognised in the Educator of the Year category, while its advisory board won Multidisciplinary Team of the Year, at the RCM Awards ceremony in London on Friday 6 February.

Memory Milk is based at the Countess of Chester Hospital and was launched by The Milk Bank at Chester, in partnership with Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice. It supports bereaved families by allowing them to donate breastmilk after baby loss, offering a meaningful way to honour’s a baby’s memory.

Gill Walton, Chief Executive of the RCM, said: “Memory Milk addresses an often overlooked and deeply sensitive area of maternity care: supporting parents who experience milk production after the loss of a baby. Before the initiative began, there was little formal guidance or training for healthcare professionals, leaving many parents unsupported and many staff unsure how to help.

“It is an exceptional example of how compassion, collaboration and education can transform care. The initiative and its advisory board have changed practice in a previously neglected area, ensuring bereaved parents are supported with dignity, choice and understanding. These awards are richly deserved.”

Sue Pemberton, Director of Nursing and Quality and Deputy Chief Executive at the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are incredibly proud of the Milk Bank team and the Advisory Board for this recognition from the Royal College of Midwives. Their commitment to developing and sharing learning, and to building a programme rooted in compassion, sensitivity and evidence, has been exceptional.

“Their work reflects the very best principles of care – supporting bereaved parents through complex emotions and doing so with dignity, empathy and respect. The difference this work has made to families has been deeply moving, and I am pleased that they have been given this award as a testament to the dedication, skill and generosity of everyone involved.”

The initiative equips midwives and other healthcare professionals with the knowledge, confidence and language to support bereaved parents with compassion and sensitivity – and offers parents meaningful choices, including the option to donate their milk as a legacy.

Judges praised the initiative’s powerful educational impact, which has reached thousands of maternity professionals across the UK through training sessions, online resources, university teaching and national conferences. Central to its success is co-production with bereaved parents, whose experiences shape every aspect of the training and materials.

The Multidisciplinary Team of the Year award recognises the initiative’s advisory board, which brings together midwives, neonatal nurses, milk bank staff, bereavement specialists, researchers, charity partners and parents with lived experience. Working collaboratively, the team has developed the UK’s first comprehensive guidelines for lactation and milk donation after baby loss, now influencing practice nationally.

Today, Memory Milk resources are used in hospitals, milk banks and universities across the UK, helping professionals better support families during one of the most difficult moments of their lives — and turning loss into care, legacy and healing.

The prestigious RCM Awards are held annually and honour outstanding individuals in maternity care who have made a positive impact on women, babies and their families, showcasing world-class midwifery standards.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

• To contact the RCM Media Office call 020 7312 3456, or email media@rcm.org.uk
• The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is the only trade union and professional association dedicated to serving midwifery and the whole midwifery team. We provide workplace advice and support, professional and clinical guidance, and information, and learning opportunities with our broad range of events, conferences, and online resources. For more information visit the RCM | A professional organisation and trade union dedicated to serving the whole midwifery team