A Southampton hospital has teamed up with a charity to offer comfort to bereaved parents.

Staff at Princess Anne Hospital are working with national charity Aching Arms, which aims to bring comfort to those who have suffered pregnancy or baby loss.

The charity runs a teddy bear donation programme and midwives at the hospital have been given 12 bears to give to bereaved parents.

The bears are all donated in memory of another baby lost too soon and are given as comforters to those who have lost their baby. Each bear comes with a label that gives the name of the baby it is dedicated in memory of as well as directing parents to the charity’s website achingarms.co.uk where grieving parents can find links to access further support.

Princess Anne Hospital is latest hospital to team up with Aching Arms, which currently has bears in 34 hospitals across the UK.

Leanne Turner, founding trustee and charity co-ordinator, said: “We are delighted that Princess Anne Hospital Women’s Hospital has come on board and is working with us to help those who have lost a baby not feel so alone.

“Losing a baby is a devastating time and we hope that by providing bears for newly bereaved parents we can reach out and offer them some comfort.”

Aching Arms was set up in 2010 by a group of bereaved mothers and it became a registered charity in August 2013.

As well as working with hospitals, the charity also provides bears to people who request them via the website achingarms.co.uk, Aching Arms UK Facebook page or by emailing info@achingarms.co.uk