Cheryl Baker has revealed how an experience when she gave birth to her twin daughters inspired her to support a Medway baby loss charity.

The singer, who lives in Kent, was contacted by Jo and David Ward when they founded Abigail’s Footsteps in 2010 after their daughter was stillborn the previous year.

In a podcast series marking Baby Loss Awareness Week she describes how the work they were doing immediately struck a chord and she was happy to get involved.

Cheryl is now vice president of the charity and said: “When I gave birth to my twin daughters one of them wasn’t breathing and, had there not been a special care baby unit there she may not have survived.

“It just touched me. I could have been David and Jo. I could have been one of the statistics.”

Cheryl has raised thousands of pounds for the charity, appearing on TV shows and running the London Landmarks Half Marathon.

She adds: “More importantly I’ve raised awareness because I think with such a tiny charity, you just need the word to get out so that people know the fantastic work that Abigail’s Footsteps does and why it’s there and why it’s so important.

“I was not aware how many stillbirths there are every year and it just opens your eyes.

“I’m really proud to be involved in Abigail’s Footsteps and will continue to, if they want me to.”

Fellow vice president, ITV’s Julie Etchingham, is another passionate supporter of the charity and also features in the final episode of the series. She was also approached by Jo and David when the charity launched.

“It’s just one of those moments when you put yourself in someone else’s shoes and you think I can not believe they’ve had to navigate such pain and then found the strength to start a charity to support other families.

“To do that in the depths of their own grief, it sort of blew me away.”

Julie also reveals how the charity was immediately able to support a close friend when their baby died at birth.

She said: “It was like an emergency service - it was incredible. And it tells you everything you need to know about David and Jo that they will always just drop everything if somebody’s in that spot because they know immediately what it’s like to be there.

“It was the counselling support that was so incredibly valuable and my friends will never forget it and will be endlessly grateful.”

Episode five of A Journey with Abigail’s Footsteps also hears from Skilled Careers who made Abigail’s their charity of the year and Antony Chapman - an ambassador and, more importantly, the charity mascot.

A Journey with Abigail’s Footsteps is an IM Listening production.