Zoe Clark-Coates MBE

We did it ❤️❤️❤️ Everyone in England can now apply for a baby loss certificate, whether the loss was yesterday or eighty years ago. Ten years ago, I had a dream that the parents of every baby that was lost in pregnancy would be able to be given an official government-issued certificate, so we launched a campaign. Mariposa International (Saying Goodbye) was a lone voice until Baroness Floella Benjamin pledged to support us in our endeavour. Roll forward a few years to March 2018 when The Secretary of State for Health asked me and Samantha Collinge to co-chair and author the government’s pregnancy loss review, which included looking at the feasibility of introducing the certificate. All of that work has resulted in this significant day. I know how much this means to so many people as your babies are finally being officially acknowledged.

Mariposa International is delighted to announce that our Founder and Global CEO, Zoe Clark-Coates MBE, has been appointed to the Charity and Third Sector Expert Reference Panel for the New Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce. Convened by the Department of Health and Social Care, the Taskforce brings together leading voices from across healthcare, policy, research and the voluntary sector to help shape the future of maternity and neonatal care across the UK. The Taskforce will focus on improving experiences and outcomes for women, babies and families across all areas of maternity and neonatal care, including safety, wellbeing, compassionate care, equity, trauma informed support and the prevention of avoidable harm and loss. Zoe brings over 25 years of expertise in grief and trauma, maternity and neonatal care, and specialist support for families affected by baby loss. As Founder of Mariposa International and the charity’s primary support division, Saying Goodbye, Zoe has spent decades supporting families, campaigning for change, and working alongside healthcare professionals and government to improve care and outcomes. Zoe co-chaired and authored the Government’s Pregnancy Loss Review, commissioned on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care. The landmark review led to 73 national recommendations, all of which were accepted by Government, aimed at improving the care and support offered to families affected by baby loss across the UK. That work is ongoing, with Zoe continuing to support the rollout and implementation of the Review’s recommendations, helping to shape policy, practice and national improvement efforts across maternity and neonatal services. Her appointment to the Charity and Third Sector Expert Reference Panel reflects both the depth of her experience and her longstanding commitment to ensuring that families remain at the heart of maternity and neonatal care reform. This will continue alongside her ongoing work as Global CEO of the charity. At Mariposa International, we are incredibly proud to see Zoe’s leadership, expertise and lived understanding recognised through this important appointment, and we look forward to supporting the vital work of the Taskforce in the months and years ahead. #MariposaInternational #SayingGoodbye #MaternityCare #NeonatalCare #BabyLoss #TraumaInformedCare #WomensHealth

Some losses are spoken aloud, others are carried quietly for years. Some happened recently, others long ago. Every one matters. We would love to invite you to two upcoming Saying Goodbye Services taking place in Dublin and Belfast, open to anybody across Ireland and Northern Ireland who has experienced the loss of a baby at any stage of pregnancy, at birth, or in early years. These services are also for those grieving the pain of never having been able to have children at all. Whether your loss was recent or decades ago, whether your grief feels loud or hidden, whether you have attended before or would be coming for the first time, you are so welcome. These gentle, hope-filled services are for everyone, and you are welcome to come exactly as you are. Family and friends touched by loss are warmly invited too, and babies and children are very welcome to attend with you. There is no need to book, simply come along on the day. ✨ DUBLIN SERVICE Saturday, 13th June - 7pm Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin ✨ BELFAST SERVICE Sunday, 14th June - 3.30pm St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast Please share this post so it can reach somebody who may need it quietly, desperately, or unexpectedly today. Sometimes one invitation can help someone feel less alone for the very first time.

Today, I’m incredibly honoured to share that I have accepted an invitation to sit on the Charity and Third Sector Expert Reference Panel of the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce. For many years, I have worked alongside bereaved families, healthcare professionals, charities, parliamentarians, Government and the NHS to advocate for safer, more compassionate maternity and baby loss care across the UK. To now further help shape the future direction of maternity and neonatal care is both a privilege and a responsibility I hold deeply. Alongside this new role, I will of course continue leading Mariposa International (Saying Goodbye) as Global CEO, continuing the work that sits at the very heart of everything we do, supporting families, driving change, amplifying voices and helping build a more compassionate future for those navigating loss, trauma and pregnancy after loss. I also remain deeply committed to continuing to work hand in hand with Government, the NHS and partners across the sector on the implementation of the Pregnancy Loss Review, which I co-chaired and authored on behalf of the Health Secretary and Number 10. Seeing all 73 recommendations accepted by Government was a landmark moment, but meaningful change is never achieved by a report alone. It comes through sustained commitment, collaboration and action. This new chapter in maternity transformation matters enormously. Behind every policy discussion, every review, every recommendation and every reform, are real families, real babies, real grief, real hope, and real opportunities to do better. I have seen the very best of our maternity services, and I have also sat beside families carrying experiences that should never have happened. Progress requires honesty, courage and humanity, and I believe deeply that every family deserves care that is not only clinically excellent, but compassionate, safe and dignified too. I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this important work, and to serve alongside so many respected voices from across maternity, neonatal and patient care. There is still much to do, but I remain hopeful about what can be achieved when people come together with compassion, integrity and a shared determination to create lasting change. Government announcement: gov.uk/government/gro…

@EmilyJBarley @collinge1717 Please find us on LinkedIn as I rarely use this platform

Perhaps myself and @collinge1717 could arrange a conversation with you. Sam and I chaired and authored the PLR review and are now working to roll out the recommendations. We can see that you are campaigning for safer maternity care and are always happy to have conversations with people making a difference.

Today saw the publication of the list of members of 'expert reference groups' which will advise the maternity taskforce. It makes for absolutely devastating reading for harmed & bereaved families. So many of these people are *perpetrators*. #contents" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">gov.uk/government/gro…

The members of the Expert Reference Groups for the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce have now been published, and Mariposa International (Saying Goodbye) are honoured to be part of the Charity and Third Sector Expert Reference Group. Zoe @ClarkCoates will be sitting on the panel. Through our involvement, we will continue advocating for women, babies and families, ensuring the voices and experiences of those harmed by maternity care are heard, represented and never overlooked. There is still much work to do, but meaningful change begins with listening, accountability and a shared commitment to safer, more compassionate care for every family. gov.uk/government/gro…

Huge congratulations to @MichelleWelshMP - no better MP for this important role. She cares! She wants change! She listens!

Welcoming @MichelleWelshMP into this important role. While I have always believed that positions with such significant influence over maternity policy and reform should sit beyond politics, if an MP is to hold this role, I genuinely cannot think of anyone better than Michelle. I have seen first hand her commitment to families, her willingness to listen, and her determination to improve outcomes for women, babies and bereaved parents. She brings compassion, integrity and a real understanding that behind every discussion about maternity care are real lives and real experiences. This work matters enormously, and I know Michelle will approach it with both seriousness and heart. Wishing her every success as she begins this new chapter.

@EmilyJBarley I will be using my voice on this panel to speak for incredible people like you and hundreds of thousands of people who have had their lives shattered by a very broken system.

Yes, there are some good people on these lists - people who have not only had good *intentions* (which are just not enough in this context), but have had good impacts too. And there are of course some strong harmed/bereaved family voices. But they are the minority.

Leadership in politics will always change hands. Ministers come and go, priorities shift, headlines move on. But for bereaved parents, for families harmed by failures in maternity and neonatal care, and for those still waiting for safer, kinder care, the need for change never pauses. Over recent years, important progress has been made in recognising baby loss, listening more carefully to bereaved families, and acknowledging the urgent need for improvement across maternity and neonatal services. Those steps have only been possible because countless parents found the courage to share their stories, often at the most painful moments of their lives. As co-chair and author of the Pregnancy Loss Review, I know how deeply families have waited to feel heard, recognised and protected within our healthcare system. As the country reflects on Wes Streeting’s resignation, our focus remains exactly where it has always been, on the women, babies and families at the heart of this conversation. This moment must not slow the momentum for meaningful reform. Investigations, reviews and promises only matter if they lead to safer care, greater compassion, genuine accountability and lasting change. Families do not experience loss or trauma according to political timetables. Their grief does not wait for stability in Westminster. Their need for support, safety and dignity remains, regardless of who holds office. At Mariposa International (Saying Goodbye), we will continue working alongside families, healthcare professionals, charities and decision makers to ensure baby loss, maternity safety and compassionate bereavement care remain national priorities, approached not through politics, but through humanity. Because behind every statistic is a child deeply loved, and a family whose life changed forever. Zoe Clark-Coates MBE Global CEO @SayingGoodbyeUK

RUN FOR MARIPOSA INTERNATIONAL (SAYING GOODBYE) ✨🏃‍♂️ Every mile can help change a life. We’re looking for incredible people to run for Mariposa International (Saying Goodbye) in 2026, raising vital sponsorship to help us continue supporting bereaved families through baby loss and grief. Whether you’re a seasoned runner, a first timer nervously lacing up your trainers, or someone running in memory of a precious baby or loved one, we would be honoured to have you with us. There is something deeply powerful about turning pain into purpose, footsteps into hope, and endurance into compassion. Every pound raised helps us continue offering support, advocacy, resources and care to families who desperately need to know they are not alone. ✨ EVENTS AVAILABLE ✨ 📍 Great Manchester Run 🗓 31st May 2026 🏃 10K 📍 Great Manchester Run 🗓 31st May 2026 🏃 Half Marathon 📍 Great North Run 🗓 13th September 2026 🏃 Half Marathon 📍 Windsor Half Marathon 🗓 27th September 2026 🏃 Half Marathon 📍 Great South Run 🗓 18th October 2026 🏃 10 Mile You don’t have to be the fastest runner on the course. You just have to be willing to show up, one step at a time, for families who need hope carried towards them. We’ll be cheering you on every step of the way. 🩷 To apply for a place, simply head to the following website: sayinggoodbye.org/special-events…

See who won a Mariposa Award in 2026 sayinggoodbye.org/mariposa-award…

UK Only The 2027 Mariposa Awards are now open for nominations. At the heart of these awards is a simple belief, that the people who show up with compassion, care, and understanding in life’s most difficult moments deserve to be seen. This year, nominations are open across three areas: • Medical Professionals supporting families through baby loss • Fertility Specialists and Clinics guiding those navigating infertility • Workplaces who have shown exceptional care to employees facing these challenges If someone stood beside you when it mattered most, we would be honoured to hear their name. sayinggoodbye.org/mariposa-award…

We need you - sayinggoodbye.org/special-events…

We need you - sayinggoodbye.org/special-events…

The 2027 Mariposa Awards are now open for nominations. At the heart of these awards is a simple belief, that the people who show up with compassion, care, and understanding in life’s most difficult moments deserve to be seen. This year, nominations are open across three areas: • Medical Professionals supporting families through baby loss • Fertility Specialists and Clinics guiding those navigating infertility • Workplaces who have shown exceptional care to employees facing these challenges If someone stood beside you when it mattered most, we would be honoured to hear their name. sayinggoodbye.org/mariposa-award…

The 2027 Mariposa Awards are now open for nominations. At the heart of these awards is a simple belief, that the people who show up with compassion, care, and understanding in life’s most difficult moments deserve to be seen. This year, nominations are open across three areas: • Medical Professionals supporting families through baby loss • Fertility Specialists and Clinics guiding those navigating infertility • Workplaces who have shown exceptional care to employees facing these challenges If someone stood beside you when it mattered most, we would be honoured to hear their name. sayinggoodbye.org/mariposa-award…