Our Staff

Having experienced the loss of my middle son when just 3 weeks old, I understand first hand the heartbreak and devastation felt when a much loved and wanted baby dies. I wasn’t made aware of Held In Our Hearts when Theo died and it wasn’t until 2009 after the birth of my third son that I got in contact. I wanted to make sure families received the best care and established a working group at St Johns and a trained as a befriender. My involvement grew from there and in December 2014 I left teaching to become the Chief Executive. I am extremely passionate about providing the best bereavement support to families at the worst of times. Everything we do is about providing bespoke support via monthly meetings, counselling and befriending which makes our charity one of a kind. It is person centred and we are guided by the families. I am on various working groups within NHS Lothian and Scottish Government making sure the parents voice is always heard. I feel very privileged to meet with families and hear about their precious and much loved baby and it is an honour to run such a long standing community charity.

I am truly honoured to join Held In Our Hearts as Chief Operating Officer. From the moment I saw this role advertised, I felt an immediate and personal connection to the organisation’s mission. Supporting families through the devastation of baby loss is a cause incredibly close to my heart.

Having experienced the anxiety and struggles of having triplets born prematurely, I spent a long time in the neonatal ward, surrounded by families facing unimaginable heartbreak. I saw firsthand the profound impact of loss and the need for compassionate, specialised support. That experience has stayed with me, and I’ve always wanted to give back in a meaningful way. Joining Held In Our Hearts feels like a full-circle moment— speaks to my passion and purpose to help make a real difference.

I feel incredibly privileged to be part of this dedicated and compassionate team, who work tirelessly to provide support to grieving families. As Chief Operating Officer, my commitment is to ensure our services continue to be a source of care, understanding, and hope for those who need us most.

With over 17 years of experience in the third sector, I have held various roles, from volunteer coordinator, development worker, to over a decade in senior leadership. Most recently, I managed a cancer support centre, working closely with NHS teams, charities, and statutory bodies to expand vital services for patients and their families. My experience in developing and delivering person-centred bereavement support will shape how I help grow services, secure funding, and build strong partnerships to ensure the long-term sustainability of Held In Our Hearts.

Above all, I believe in leading with empathy, empowering teams, and creating a culture of collaboration and support. I am so excited to be part of this incredible organisation and to contribute to its ongoing impact.

My precious daughter Eilidh was stillborn at 32 weeks in April 1996 and Held In Our Hearts was a huge help to me.  I always wanted to give back to the charity and started as a volunteer, before becoming a Peer Support Worker, then Bereavement Co-ordinator and now Head of Support Services.  I feel privileged to work for such an amazing charity, where our values of Empathy, Connection and Love are shown daily, not only to the families we support but to staff and volunteers too.   Bereavement care and support have come such a long way since I lost my daughter and I hope we can continue to improve and be the light at the end of a very dark tunnel.

From a young age, I made the decision to intentionally weave fundraising and charity organising into the fabric of my everyday life. I have always loved community fundraising and social campaigning and found a great sense of joy and purpose in connecting with causes that matter to me. Unbeknown to me, I have been steadily following a path that has led me to Held In Our Hearts – a charity I am most proud to now serve as Head of Fundraising.

This work holds particular meaning after the loss of my nephew, Max, who was stillborn in June 2023. The support and comfort I found within this community during such a difficult time is something I carry with me every day. It is such a pleasure and privilege to be able to show up to work as my full self, whilst building Max’s legacy and striving to make real lasting change for the baby loss community.

I promised Max the day I met him, the day I was blessed with the best cuddle of my life, that I would live a life filled with purpose, protect his family, and contribute to the change he deserved to see in the world. Supporting Held In Our Hearts’ financial growth and sustainability is one way I continue to honour that promise – helping ensure that more families, like ours, have access to the life-changing bereavement support they need and deserve.

My mission is to empower people to recognise their potential as fundraisers and community champions. We all have something to contribute- and with Held In Our Hearts, you can be sure your efforts will make a real and lasting difference.

I joined HIOH in December 2024 as their Office Manager and I’m really excited about this opportunity! I believe everything happens for a reason, and I feel like the Universe has brought me to this moment.

I spent an incredible 12 years as the CSR representative with my previous employer, where I had the joy of supporting SANDS Lothians/Held In Our Hearts. During this time, I focused on fundraising and spreading awareness for the organisation. One of my most cherished memories is when I received a nomination from SANDS Lothians and was honoured with the Inspiring Volunteer Award in Edinburgh in 2019. It was such a proud moment for me, especially knowing that my efforts in fundraising and coordinating corporate volunteers were recognised!

2024 has been quite a journey for me, with a couple of unexpected changes and redundancies over the past four years. Despite that, I stay optimistic and keep looking ahead!

With over 30 years of diverse experience under my belt, I’ve thrived in all kinds of office environments, from bustling global corporations to friendly local businesses. I love connecting with people from all walks of life and bring a lot of positivity and emotional awareness to my work. Being an attentive listener and a supportive presence is really important to me. I can’t wait to bring my experience and warm energy to the amazing HIOH team!

After a career in the theatre and community arts, during the pandemic I made the decision to retrain as a counsellor. A move that has brought me so much joy and inspiration.

I fell in love with counselling after completing my COSCA certificate in skills and this only grew with each course I completed. After a year at The University of Edinburgh on their Masters program, I qualified in 2023 with an MSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy from the University of Strathclyde. I am a registered member of BACP (British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists) and adhere to the ethical guidelines which help ensure professional and ethical commitment to clients and good practice.

At the core of my practice is the Person-centered modality, it’s my belief that seeing someone’s experience from their unique point of view is key to helping someone process what’s happening to them.

Counselling offers us a space that is just ours to be met without judgement or assumption. This can offer bereaved families the chance to talk about their baby without worry of how this will be held by others. I aim to offer families a warm and compassionate space to help families remember their baby while navigating their loss. Grief never leaves us fully but with time and support we can grow around our grief and continue through life holding those we love and have lost.

I feel so privileged to be a part of the Held In Our Hearts team, an organization with such love and passion for their staff, families and wider community. 

I joined the Held in our Hearts counselling team in 2024, and it has been a privilege to offer counselling support to many of our families who have experienced the loss of their precious baby. I work in person from our counselling room in Edinburgh on a Monday and online on a Tuesday.

My background is in education, with many years supporting children and families with additional support needs. My interest in working with loss and bereavement began as a Seasons for Growth companion, supporting children with change and loss in their lives.

In 2020 I fulfilled a long-held ambition to train as a counsellor, and throughout my training and ongoing counselling work I have found myself drawn to supporting others through loss and trauma. I have been particularly moved by my work with bereaved parents, from making space for their darkest moments of grief, to their process of mourning, and honouring their little one’s life. Both strength and vulnerability often go hand in hand in this grief journey.

I am a member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) and follow their ethical framework.  And hold our values of empathy, connection and love at the heart of my work here at Held in our Hearts.

Counselling offers a way for us to journey together, to explore whatever experiences and difficulties surface along the way and to gently work together to find a path forward. By creating a compassionate safe space, I hope to honour each bereaved parent’s journey to talk about their baby, their loss and their life. Grief can at times bring other issues in life to the surface or feel more difficult amid this loss and together we can explore these in a way that suits you.

My hope is that counselling can help you to find your way forward, carrying your precious memories and bond with your little one with you.

With a background in nursing, since 1989, I have had the privilege of being part of a compassionate team that supports families following the heartbreaking loss of a baby.  In 2007, I decided to train as a counsellor and completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Person-Centred and Psychodynamic Counselling at Edinburgh University in 2011.  Since then, I have trained in trauma therapy and integrate elements of Compassion Focused Therapy into my work as a counsellor for Held in our Hearts.  I am a registered member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) and adhere to their statement of ethics and code of practice.

At the heart of my work is a commitment to providing a safe, non-judgmental space where parents can feel heard and share their experiences at their own pace. Over the years, I have witnessed the profound benefits of talking about a baby that has died, and it is truly inspiring to see the strength bereaved parents find as they begin to rebuild their lives. I consider it a privilege to hear about their baby and to support them in finding a way forward.  Counselling can complement peer support after losing a baby or child, especially when other challenges or losses, past or present, make navigating the grief more complex.

I typically offer an initial meeting to discuss counselling and to help parents explore whether it feels like the right fit for them. My goal is to support families with compassion and empathy and to honour each individual’s grief journey and their precious baby.

After hearing that life-changing phrase “I’m so sorry, there’s no heartbeat” and returning home to a world that felt completely unrecognisable, I was fortunate enough to be introduced to Held In Our Hearts through a friend and I cannot speak highly enough of the support I was given. I now have a 1-year-old bundle of joy, Jackson, and could not be more grateful to have and to hold him.

I am beyond honoured to share that I’ve joined the Held In Our Hearts team as Trusts and Grants Fundraiser and I am so excited to fundraise for such an important cause that I am so passionate about! 💖

Hello! My name is Eilidh and I have just started as the Community & Stewardship Fundraiser.

I’m very excited to be joining the team here and getting stuck in! I have spent the last three years working in fundraising at a youth homelessness charity and am looking forward to working at Held in Our Hearts in this role.

I have not suffered the devastating loss of a baby, however throughout my time as a student midwife and as a mum to a daughter with a life threatening heart condition I have walked hand in hand with women and their families who have experienced this unimaginable loss.  In 2019 our daughter underwent her second Open Heart Surgery and we welcomed our fourth child.  I reassessed my life and decided to make a massive career change.  I moved into the charity sector and began my role as a fundraiser.  When the first opportunity arose to join the wonderful and inspirational team at Held in Our Hearts I grabbed it with both hands.  I am inspired and driven to raise as much funds as possible to allow the team to offer bereavement support to all families sadly in need of our help.

I was introduced to Held in Our Hearts in 2022 when I became a bereaved mum to one of my twins, my beautiful daughter Brora, who was stillborn. That time in my life was an overwhelming rollercoaster of emotions. I was navigating the deep devastation and grief of losing my daughter, while at the same time learning how to become a mum for the first time to my son. It was an incredibly complex and challenging time, filled with both love and heartbreak. During the time followed, Held in Our Hearts held me through my grief, offering compassion and a space where my daughter could be remembered and honoured.

Their support didn’t stop there. They also stood by me during my second pregnancy in 2023, which brought its own mixture of hope, fear, and anxiety after loss. Having the reassurance and care made such a difference to me and my family.

I will always be incredibly grateful for the kindness, compassion, and support I received from Held in Our Hearts. Because of that, I feel so privileged to now be able to give something back by representing this wonderful charity as a Community Fundraiser and helping support other families who may be walking a similar path.

I’m a mum to three girls, my firstborn Tilly was born with a diaphragmatic hernia and died of an infection at twenty five days old. 

Losing a child for me was a such a lonely place to be, everyone’s life was able to move on but mine couldn’t and all I wanted was to talk about Tilly, she wasn’t my guilty secret she was my daughter and I was her mummy. 

I met the lovely Nicola at Held in our hearts six months after my loss by chance and had a peer support session – to hear another bereaved parent tell me they had felt what I felt made my feelings normal in my head, and we kept in contact over the years. 

When I later took voluntary redundancy, I was approached by Nicola to come onboard, the timing was right for us both, so here I am. 

Listening to parents talk about their babies with such love is one of the most special parts of my work, pure and raw but love at its best. 

I am a Peer Supporter as well as doing a volunteer co-ordinator role. 

Nothing could have prepared me for losing my son, Hunter, in July 2013. I lost him quite suddenly 18 weeks into my first pregnancy. I had never experienced grief like it and felt so alone. When my husband found Held In Our Hearts it was amazing to finally feel safe and understood.

Unfortunately, on Mother’s Day 2015, at 22 weeks pregnant I lost our daughter, Esmae. Once again the charity supported us in ways others could not.

We remained hopeful, but in October 2015, a scan showed our daughter, Freya, had anencephaly, a condition incompatible with life and we had to make the heart-breaking decision to terminate. Whilst grief and loss were familiar, experiencing a TFMR was new territory, but Held In Our Hearts understood and thankfully had already been supporting us throughout the pregnancy.  

The following year, after a second early loss, I became pregnant for the sixth time and in April 2017, after a lot of amazing care, including counselling sessions and support from Held In Our Hearts, I gave birth to Iris…and we brought her home.

After having Iris I decided not go back to my job as a Media Sales Manager for a national newspaper publisher and became a stay at home mum. It was so lovely to have the chance to spend precious time with her before she started school. In 2021 my wee family moved from Edinburgh back to my hometown of Inverness and I jumped at the chance to be part of Held In Our Hearts’ expansion to the Highlands. I did my peer supporter training and it just felt right.

It’s such a privilege to be a Peer Supporter here in the Highlands. I know the difference it can make to speak someone who understands the heartache of losing a precious baby.  I hope I can help ease the feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Hi, my name is Amy, and I am the Peer Support Worker for Fife. I offer support to families over the phone, online and in person, in our lovely Rainbow Room in Dalgety Bay. I will be working closely with both the Hospital to Home Worker and Counsellor for Fife, providing families the support they so desperately deserve after such devastating loss.

I was first introduced to Held In Our Hearts back in October of 2021, after losing our baby girl Daisy. Daisy was our third baby, having two beautiful boys already we were ecstatic to be having a little girl. Losing Daisy, halfway through our pregnancy and very suddenly, completely shattered our world and I fell apart, unable to see any hope for the future. A lovely bereavement nurse from our hospital suggested that I reach out to Held In Our Hearts, and I have never been more thankful for this. I first received invaluable support from the amazing Peer Supporter Vikki and then after realizing I was suffering from complex PTSD, I moved onto the much-needed counselling service from the wonderful Ailsa.

The charity means the absolute world to me. I know just how important it is to have someone who can truly empathize with you and how you’re feeling, there are no expectations, no judgements and the space for you to love and grieve your baby is completely safe. Held In Our Hearts understood our loss and the enormity of our grief. I found myself unable to fully express to my close family just how awful I was feeling, the pressure was overwhelming. I hated the thought of family members being upset because of me, or them worrying about me, so I was silent. The support provided me with a space where I could talk, guilt free. It then allowed me the courage to be able to share my baby and all that she means to me, and I believe this is how I was able to go on.

Held In Our Hearts continued to support me throughout my subsequent pregnancy and in September 2023, we welcomed our much-loved Rainbow baby into the world.

I feel so privileged to be in this position now, walking with families through their own heartbreaking loss and giving them my support, I truly understand the importance of the space provided.

In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family and catching up with friends. I love spending time outdoors, growing my own veggies and doing a bit of DIY here and there. I have an eye for detail and have a keen interest in wildlife photography.

I’m beyond grateful and extremely excited to begin my journey with the incredible Held In Our Hearts charity. In December 2022 my daughter Maisy passed away unexpectedly, aged four. The compassion and support I have experienced from the charity have been absolutely invaluable in the process of navigating grief. Throughout the time I received bereavement support, I had the pleasure of meeting with various valuable members of the charity, and there is no doubt in my mind that if it were not for the guidance and care Held In Our Hearts has consistently shown me, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I am unbelievably driven to give back to a charity that has done so much for me and help to deliver the quality of bereavement support that families so desperately deserve. I hope my involvement with the charity can continue to grow over time and I can offer some valuable first-hand insights to help bring dignity, comfort and understanding to parents and families during the most heartbreaking time of their lives. I look forward to what my role within the charity may bring, but I especially look forward to building bonds with families and being privileged enough to walk their journey with them

In July 2013, our world came crashing down. At almost 21 weeks pregnant, we received the devastating news that our baby wouldn’t survive due to a fetal abnormality, and we made the impossible decision to have a termination for medical reasons. Our beautiful son, Findlay, was born sleeping on 20 July. That was one of the darkest, loneliest and most isolating times of my life, and Held in our Hearts provided invaluable support through support groups, peer support and counselling. We were blessed with Findlay’s little brother, Cameron Findlay, in July 2014 and Held in our Hearts where there throughout. Fast forward to 2022, when I had an early miscarriage. At 45 years old, this totally devastated me, knowing that that was my last chance to give Cameron a living sibling. I felt so alone, desperate and hopeless and again Held in our Hearts where there.

I trained as a volunteer peer supporter, knowing how much the support helped me and can only hope that by giving parents a safe space to talk, it helps them in some small way. It is an absolute privilege to hear their stories and hope that by sharing in a safe space, this can bring some comfort. It’s a heartbreaking path to walk, but we can walk it together.

My name is Lea, and I am honoured to join the Held in Our Hearts team as a Hospital to Home Worker for the Forth Valley area. While I’m new to this role, I’ve always felt like part of the Held in Our Hearts family.

It’s a real privilege for me to support families at such a difficult time, right at the beginning of their grief journey. Having walked that path myself, I know just how important it is to have kind, understanding people around you. The people who supported me when my son Luke was stillborn are forever part of his story, and I can only hope to offer that same comfort to others.

Being welcomed into families’ lives, hearing their stories, and being there for them during such an intimate time is something I truly treasure. I feel deeply honoured and willing to offer whatever support I can.

I am really looking forward to working with such an amazing team and continuing the wonderful work we do together at Held in Our Hearts.

My name is Ashley, and I will be working as part of the Hospital to Home team within Edinburgh and the Lothians. My background lies within Paediatric Nursing, having worked as a Neurology nurse at the RHCYP before becoming a mum to our two boys and girl.

Held in Our Hearts holds a special place in my heart, having offered so much kindness and support following our loss of our baby Reuben in 2019. Losing a much-loved and longed-for little one can come with a multitude of unfamiliar feelings that are difficult to navigate. The only way I can describe the initial contact with Held in Our Hearts was like having a giant hug and a place of comfort.

It is the biggest privilege, therefore, to join the Hospital to Home team, knowing that families will have the support to hold them through the emotional and practical challenges on their return home. I’m looking forward to meeting with families and having the privilege of listening to their story and sharing their little one’s journey.

My grief journey began in 1998 following the loss of our baby son Charlie. During that shocking and helpless time, we didn’t receive the support we both needed. I felt caught in the pain of my grief and found it hard to move forward and begin to process my loss. I now understand that having support available to us at that time it would have made it easier to process and cope with our loss.

Following Charlie’s death, we went on to have 4 more children, this experience throughout the following years gave me a deeper understanding of grief and hope. This inspired me to study counselling.

I have worked as a counsellor and in supportive roles within various charities. Following this, I managed my own private counselling practice, offering support to adults and young people through difficult times.

More recently I been on placement with a children’s mental health charity offering counselling and play therapy to children in primary schools.

I feel truly humbled to be part of Held in our hearts, working as a hospital to home worker providing emotional and practical support to families in their homes during those very early days after a loss of their beloved baby or child. I hope that my own experience of bereavement, together with my knowledge and skills, can gently support families in their early experience of loss.

My name is Magi and I am part of the Hospital To Home team in the Highlands.

When I saw the Held In Our Hearts jobs advertised on Facebook I thought how much easier it would have made life for me after both the loss of my little boy after a scan at 22 weeks and the earlier miscarriages.

The loss of my little boy was in 1993. I hope that by looking at me much further down the line, newly bereaved parents can see just a wee glimmer of hope that it will be ok.

Losing my son changed me as a person, I think it made me more compassionate, more accepting and less judgmental. I want to put those things to good use. And in an odd wee way it feels like I can make sense of my loss by doing this job.

I have never forgotten the raw, searing grief of those early days and being able to support families through that is something I will give my all to.

I came to Held In Our Hearts from supporting families and young people who have experienced bereavement and loss.  I found this extremely rewarding and working at Held In Our Hearts has enabled me to support families going through extremely difficult loss. 

My background is in Psychotherapy and have worked for a number of voluntary projects supporting parents, children and young people.  I have found it a privilege being able to meet and support families and being able to be part of their journey.

I feel very privileged working at Held In Our Hearts, being able to give families a voice, feel supported and listened to, ensuring that no family or parent feels isolated or alone.

I am delighted to be supporting bereaved parents and families across Tayside. I am mum to Luke and Isaac, who was born sleeping at 30 weeks’ gestation in 2007, and I am also a stepmum, foster mum, and proud granny.

Following the loss of Isaac, I volunteered with Tayside Sands from 2007 to 2020 as a Befriender and Chairperson. Having experienced baby loss myself, I understand how overwhelming those early days can be and hope to offer compassionate support as families navigate their grief, one step at a time.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, going to the theatre, travelling, playing lawn bowls, and walking my dog, Dixie.

Held In Our Hearts has been an incredible support to me and my family ever since our baby son, Alex, died aged 3 weeks in February 2018 due to a severe congenital heart defect.  When we returned home from the hospital without Alex we felt like we were the only people in the world that this had ever happened to, which was terrifying and isolating, despite the well-meaning messages and support from family and friends.  We were lucky to be put in contact with Held In Our Hearts within a few days by our Health Visitor and I remember the first phone call with Nicola as a beam of light into our blackened world, to talk to someone who had been in the same position and who knew exactly how we were feeling was incredible as we felt so alone and hopeless in our grief.

Over the turbulent years since Alex died I regularly met with my peer supporter who showed incredible understanding of my grief for Alex and also for my several early miscarriages.  I was also supported through my subsequent pandemic pregnancy by the wonderful pregnancy after-loss group.

I have been hugely privileged to be a member of the peer support team for the last 3.5 years and am excited to join the Lothians Hospital to Home team where I can continue to offer the support and understanding that was shown to me to bereaved families in their own homes in those first overwhelming weeks and months after losing their precious baby.