The Pine in the Valley jewellery

"Our beautiful son Caspar was born very sick in 2016 and he spent three months in the exceptional care of the NICU team at the JR before he died. As a family we try to regularly fundraise for SSNAP. We collected nearly £2500 for them after Caspar died. And my husband Gavin will be running the Oxford Half for them for the second year in October.

After Caspar died, whilst looking after our older son, I found myself needing a creative outlet, a distraction from my grief, and head-space away from the challenges that come with parenting after loss... And I found that outlet on a silversmithing course. I've since come to understand how helpful crafting can be when you are grieving.

My favourite pieces to make are personalised items: I've made a number of necklaces and bracelets for parents and others wanting a way of keeping a lost loved one with them.

After a couple of years of making pieces of jewellery for myself and for friends I decided to start selling some of my work. So I set up my business: The Pine in the Valley - Handmade Jewellery. I am donating 50p from every jewellery sale to SSNAP, as a small way of saying thank you for all that they did for Caspar and our family during his time at the John Radcliffe. It's a small contribution but who knows what the future holds!?

By supporting the work of the JR NICU, SSNAP really did make a big difference to my family's experience during the most challenging time of our lives."