This is why Wakefield Town Hall will be turning pink and blue this week

The annual awareness week, now in its 17th year, is an opportunity for people who have lost a baby in pregnancy, at birth or in infancy to commemorate those brief lives and to help break the silence around pregnancy and baby loss in the UK.

Coun Faith Heptinstall, Wakefield Council's Cabinet Member for Adults and Health, said: "We are pleased to be able to support Baby Loss Awareness Week and to highlight the improvements required in the help offered to those who need it.

"This is such a difficult experience for families to go through and it's so important to raise awareness and ensure our residents have access to the support they need."

Ruth Bender Atik, Director of the Miscarriage Association, said: "We hope that turning the Wakefield Town Hall clock tower pink and blue will spark conversations about pregnancy and baby loss and give people an opportunity to talk to family, friends and colleagues about their experiences and feelings.

"What's more, the Miscarriage Association is a national charity, based in Wakefield, so we're especially pleased to have this local landmark lit up in support of Baby Loss Awareness Week."

Clea Harmer, Chief Executive of Sands (stillbirth and neonatal death charity), said: "Pregnancy loss or the death of a baby is a tragedy that affects thousands of people every year. It is devastating for parents and families and it's vital they get the bereavement support and care they need, for as long as they need it."

For further information about Baby Loss Awareness Week, visit www.babyloss-awareness.org or for further information about the Miscarriage Association, visit www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk