On Sunday 31st August, student midwife Bayleigh Smith, training at Northampton and Kettering General Hospitals through the University of Northampton, hosted her second Charity Netball Tournament at Welland Park Academy in Market Harborough. The event, supported by family, friends, teammates, and local businesses, raised funds for our Twinkling Stars Appeal, which is creating a dedicated maternity bereavement suite at Kettering General Hospital. The space will provide people experiencing baby loss with a private, dignified, and comforting environment at a very difficult time.
Around 180 people attended, with 13 teams competing across two pools before play-offs decided the final placings. The day began with glorious late August sunshine and, even as rain appeared later, the energy and enthusiasm of participants and supporters remained high.
“As a student midwife I have seen first-hand the impact baby loss can have,” said Bayleigh. “While we do our utmost to support people, our facilities could be improved. The new bereavement suite will offer privacy and care at a time when it is needed most. Hosting this tournament allowed me to combine my love of netball with helping others, and I’m so grateful to everyone who supported it.”
The tournament also featured a raffle, a “barrow of booze” draw, a bake sale, preloved clothes stall, bouncy castle, face painting, and food stands, with local businesses including The Stop Gap, Mario’s Ice Cream, BB’s Bouncy Castles, and Jo Louise Painted Faces donating prizes, food, and refreshments. Staff and students from Welland Park Academy helped run the stalls and scoring, ensuring the event ran smoothly.
Including last year’s tournament, Bayleigh has now raised an incredible £5,350 for the Twinkling Stars Appeal. She already has her sights set on returning for a third year, with plans to make the event even bigger and better.
If you’d like to host your own fundraising event in support of Northamptonshire Health Charity, we’d love to hear from you. To get in touch visit www.nhcharity.co.uk/contact
To find out more or support the Twinkling Stars Appeal, visit www.nhcharity.co.uk/twinkling.
