BEREAVED parents will soon have a beautiful place to go to remember their babies thanks to a community project at the Royal Bolton Hospital.

At the moment ashes of babies who do not survive are scattered in a rose garden at the hospital, but fundraisers and community groups are rallying round to transform the area into a special garden where families can sit and remember their lost children.

The rose garden will remain but the new £10,000 project will involve landscaping the adjacent area incorporating paths, seating and artwork created by students at the University of Bolton.

A landscape designer is drawing up plans for the garden, where paths with edged with kerbstones upon which parents can place memorial plaques.

"It will be a peaceful place where people can just sit and contemplate," said Andy Lee, charitable fundraiser for the Bolton NHS Foundation Trust.

"It can be difficult for parents at times such as birthdays or when the child would have been starting school and this is somewhere where they can go to remember."

Work on the garden gets underway next week and is being created with help from volunteers, support from local businesses, public donations, hospital staff and bereaved parents.

And in preparation a group of 15 volunteers from Bolton Lads and Girls Club have cleared the site of weeds, shrubs and stones.

Seddon Construction have been offering their expertise and support in planning the project, with volunteers from Groundwork on hand to carry out the hard landscaping and develop the planting scheme.

Seddon's business services director Nicola Hodkinson said: "We're delighted to be able to work with the hospital to create a space where bereaved families can take time to reflect and commemorate their loved ones. The project will make a real difference to families at their time of need."

Funding for the project has come from several sources including Intercity Technologies and university walking group Inspire, which raised £500 through a sponsored walk.

Also involved are Claire Lister and Matt Vause, who started fundraising for the project following the loss of their daughter, Mia Elizabeth.

And this month the charitable fund is one of the community projects chosen for Tesco's Bags of Help initiative, where shoppers can vote for schemes to receive grants of up to £5,000.

It is hoped that the garden will be completed by early Summer.

Seema Kala, bereavement midwife at the Princess Anne Maternity Unit, said: “Losing a baby is very, very difficult for families, but for many finding a way to commemorate their child can be helpful.”

Her colleague bereavement midwife Michelle Densham added: “This garden will provide a peaceful place where parents can place a plaque, or just sit and think a while. We are so grateful to all the individuals and organisations who are helping us to create the garden.”