A mum has been forced to shut her baby loss charity shop over a lack of volunteers.

Julie Morrison has closed the doors on the Bellshill shop which opened in 2018 as a lifeline to grieving parents after she lost her own baby girl, Erin.

We previously reported that the 42-year-old, from Coatbridge, has just opened a second Baby Loss Retreat charity in Airdrie last week as she was overwhelmed with donations.

Glasgow Times: The new shop in Airdrie The new shop in Airdrie

Now the team is devastated to close the original location as they put their “hearts and souls” into the shop which offers families respite, counselling, and guidance after losing a child.

Julie told the Glasgow Times: “We've worked so hard to try and keep Bellshill open, but it's come to a point where we don't have anyone who can volunteer in the shop.

“It's heartbreaking because we've put our heart and souls into it.

“It's already shut, we are looking for volunteers in the other shop now.

“I tried everything to get volunteers in. Everywhere is struggling just now for volunteers.

“Since covid it just got worse.

“Really don't know what's happening, businesses are struggling.”

Glasgow Times: Julie was gutted to shut the shopJulie was gutted to shut the shop

Julie was inspired to start the charity after being caught up in the baby ashes scandal which shocked Scotland.

She was horrified to discover her daughter, who had been born stillborn in 2003, had her ashes abandoned in a funeral parlour cupboard for 13 years without her knowledge.

After finding out she then lost her job and fell into a depression, before deciding to dedicate her life to getting others the help she was never given.

The scandal revealed that after staff at crematoriums in Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy disposed of the ashes of babies and then falsely told grieving parents there were not enough remains to return to them.

It is thought as many as 450 families were affected by the practice across Scotland.

After discovering the truth Julie decided to launch her Baby Loss Retreat charity in 2018 with a shop in Bellshill before opening her latest store in Airdrie last week.

Glasgow Times: Julie started the charity in memory of her daughter ErinJulie started the charity in memory of her daughter Erin

 Julie previosuly told the Glasgow Times: “When I found out her ashes had been sitting in a funeral director's house for 13 years, I was completely shocked.

“I had been told I wouldn’t get any ashes but I saw the scandal on the news and contacted a lawyer.

“Four years later they said through an investigation they had discovered the ashes.

“I lost my job and everything. I was so stressed I couldn’t get out of bed in the morning.

“I had worked as a care assistant and found it really hard, that is why I decided to build a charity around it.”

Julie had no idea she was one of these victims until she contacted a lawyer who discovered her child’s remains had been in the Glasgow Jonathan Harvey funeral director branch.

They were discovered among 11 other sets of infant ashes dating back to 1999.

Julie is now committed to helping other parents who are going through the same heartbreaking experience she did.

 

 

Julie said: “We always ask parents if they have received their baby’s ashes, when you are grieving you just don’t know what questions to ask so we help guide them.

“I was in a really bad way when I lost Erin, I had postnatal depression and just no help.

“I had a real lack of support when leaving the hospital, so I want to help families by giving them the help I didn’t have.

“Our charity offers a different variety of things. I do a one-on-one chat with the person to see what exactly they need.”