As a midwife, Andrea Curling has been there for expectant parents when the worst happens.

Now the Minster resident is helping a group which supports people through the heartache of losing a baby to seek charity status.

Mrs Curling, who works at Medway Maritime Hospital, is chairman of Cherished Whispers, which gives out wooden memory boxes to recently bereaved parents.

They are handed out at the Gillingham hospital, which cares for patients from Sheppey.

They come in three colours: pink for a girl, blue for a boy, and white ones are given if the gender is unknown, which is normally if they are miscarried less than 18 weeks into the pregnancy.

Each one contains leaflets with information on where to get support, along with details of local funeral directors, a candle, a hope charm and a flash drive containing photos. Some include a lock of the baby’s hair.

There are also two teddy bears, one for the parents to keep and one which stays with their child.

A card and a hope charm is given to those who have lost a baby before about 10 weeks’ gestation.

The group was set up in October 2011 by mum-of-three Cheryl Morley, who has lost four babies during pregnancy, and her partner Doug Snowden.

The Gillingham couple have also set up a website where those who have suffered a loss can offer each other support. Now Cherished Whispers is going for full charity status through the Charities Commission.

Mrs Curling, who has been a midwife since 1998, said: “We offer it to the parents and I would say 99.9% of the time they accept.”

“It has been really well received, but the boxes are quite expensive. They cost about £30 each for us to make. People like to see the charity number there and it means it’s more likely someone will donate because they can see it is a proper group.”

Cherished Whispers has already done a lot of fundraising and managed £9,000 in its first year, giving out 120 boxes.

Future fundraising events being planned include a quiz night and publishing a cook book.