A SPECIAL “Cuddle with a Cause” campaign at a Bolton-based baby retailer has raised more than £2,000 for a bereavement charity.

Cosatto Ltd, which supplies items such as prams, cars seats and high chairs, chose to support Child Bereavement UK after being put forward by director Mark Swift.

The company’s campaign saw it donate 50p from every invoice during a month one period, raising a total of £2,247 for the charity.

Child Bereavement UK supports families when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying, or when a child is facing bereavement.

The charity also trains professionals such as teachers and nurses to help them better understand the needs of grieving families in their working life.

Mark said: “In the summer of 1981, I was 13. That same year, my brother Michael (who was twin to my other brother, Anthony) came home from the RAF for the weekend to celebrate my mother's birthday.

“Unfortunately, that weekend, he came off his motorbike and was killed. Understandably, all of our lives were changed forever. We were and remain a close family and so are very much the lucky ones.

“And at the age of seven, my wife Fiona's mother died of cancer - leaving her father to raise three children alone. Our stories may be unique but certainly not uncommon.

“I love the fact that this charity offers help to the unlucky ones and so think it deserves all the help it can. I also applaud them for tackling an ‘unfashionable’ charitable topic. Quite simply, it resonated with me.”

Jonathan Evans, regional fundraising and communications officer for Child Bereavement UK, added: “We are extremely grateful to Cosatto Ltd for choosing to support us and to Mark for putting us forward.

“We rely solely on donations such as this to carry on with the work we are doing and the fantastic amount raised will help us rebuild people’s lives after the devastation of bereavement.”

For more information about the charity’s support, training, volunteering or fundraising visit www.childbereavementuk.org or call the Runcorn centre on 01928 577 164.