Leanne is the Founder and Chief Executive of Aching Arms, established in 2010 in memory of her son James, to support the emotional well-being of parents after pregnancy and baby loss and to raise awareness of its impact. She became the charity’s first Coordinator in 2013, and was then was appointed full‑time CEO in 2018 and has shaped its development into a national support charity. She also serves as Secretary of the Pregnancy & Baby Charities Network, contributing to sector‑wide collaboration and advocacy. Before founding Aching Arms, Leanne worked in the Education Sector for 18 years as a teacher and consultant.
Roberta is the Communications Manager at Aching Arms and has been involved with the charity since its early days in 2015, beginning as a volunteer preparing bears for London hospitals and supporting fundraising and social media. She has since developed the charity’s wider communications strategy, helping to raise awareness of its vital work. Passionate about increasing the charity’s profile, Roberta is dedicated to supporting many more bereaved families. Having found comfort herself in receiving an Aching Arms bear, Roberta understands the profound difference the charity can make to families who lose a baby during pregnancy, at birth, or shortly after.
Laura joined Aching Arms in July 2018 as our Volunteer & Operations Manager. She oversees the day‑to‑day running of the charity, supports the Chair, Trustees and CEO, and manages our team of more than 150 volunteers. Laura coordinates the provision of bears to families and to our growing network of hospitals, hospices, befriending groups and funeral directors across the UK. She also ensures every baby’s name dedicated in memory is carefully added to our Dedication List. With a degree in business management, Laura brings excellent organisational skills to her role. She is proud to be part of Aching Arms and values the opportunity to offer comfort to families when they need it most.
Helen joined Aching Arms in 2024, bringing over 25 years of experience in corporate sales and relationship management. She works closely across the organisation and with our business partners to ensure workplaces are supported following a bereavement, helping employers and employees understand the impact of pregnancy and baby loss and the support available.
Helen leads on sustainable income generation, overseeing corporate partnerships, grants, and trusts. She is passionate about Aching Arms’ mission, particularly in supporting and amplifying the voices of those who are childless not by choice.
Erica brings nearly 30 years of experience supporting bereaved parents and families from her long career at Sands (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity). She began as a volunteer on the Sands helpline in the mid‑1990s and worked her way up, delivering training to healthcare professionals and delivering the Sands befriender training, then later became Sands Bereavement Support and Awareness Specialist. As a qualified bereavement counsellor with advanced facilitation skills, Erica contributes her expertise to Aching Arms as part of the Bereavement Support Team. She leads the charities' telephone, text and email support helpline and monthly online support meetings for mums, offering compassionate guidance and a safe, supportive space for connection.
Erica’s lived experience of baby loss continues to inspire her deep commitment to ensuring every family receives the highest level of care and understanding.
Tom first connected with Aching Arms in 2018 following the loss of his son. He began fundraising the following year, taking on numerous challenges, including marathons and long‑distance cycling, to support the charity’s work.
In 2022, Tom joined the Aching Arms Men’s Working Group, helping shape a dedicated support service for bereaved dads. He later became a volunteer facilitator for the monthly Dads Group and went on to lead its organisation and delivery. Tom is also the author of You Are a Dad… You Always Will Be, a resource book gifted by health professionals to bereaved dads across the UK, alongside an Aching Arms bear.
Now part of the Aching Arms Support Team, Tom focuses on supporting bereaved dads through the monthly group and one‑to‑one support, and is passionate about ensuring fathers feel seen, understood, and supported.
Claire joined Aching Arms in 2023 as the Project Lead for our Be Together programme. Following the loss of her two babies, she developed a deep passion for supporting bereaved parents and their families.
In her role, Claire organises a range of events that offer comfort, friendship, and gentle opportunities for families to create new memories alongside others who understand.
Claire also supports the charity as a Fundraising Officer, helping to build connections, raise vital funds, and extend the reach of Aching Arms’ support.
Ilana has supported Aching Arms since September 2018 after losing her first baby Joel. As a result of receiving an Aching Arms bear, Ilana became passionate about the charity and its values. With her husband Adam, she volunteers for the charity in order to support and help other bereaved parents and families. The two worked together on a training video for health professionals, raised money with their families for Aching Arms, and most recently spoke about their involvement with Aching Arms on Global's Make Some Noise Day. Ilana joined Aching Arms in January 2023 as our Community and Events Fundraising Officer, providing support to our fundraisers. Ilana brings to her role many years of experience fundraising locally and nationally for causes close to her heart. She has a BA Hons Degree in Musical Theatre and prior to joining Aching Arms, worked as an SEN Learning Support Assistant and was actively involved in the fundraising sector. Since Joel's death, Ilana has held fundraising events for her local hospital's maternity charity, raising funds for maternity bereavement care. Ilana is honoured and proud to be a part of the Aching Arms team in her role as the Community Fundraising and Events Officer.
Danielle joined Aching Arms in 2022 after receiving comfort from an Aching Arms bear following the loss of her baby during pregnancy. Inspired by the support she received, she wanted to help bring the same care and comfort to other bereaved parents and families.
Danielle supports the day‑to‑day running of the charity, which includes the very important role of ensuring our volunteers have everything they need to deliver bears to hospitals. This work is at the heart of the charity and ensures vital comfort is offered to families when they need it most. She brings extensive experience in administration and customer service to her role, helping the charity run smoothly and efficiently.
Sundeep was elected as Chairperson of Aching Arms in September 2018. She has been an advocate of raising awareness of stillbirth and baby loss after her own experience of giving birth to her stillborn baby boy in September 2014. She works across her corporate network in improving corporate policies and practices towards pregnancy loss.
As the Chairperson for Aching Arms, she is responsible for ensuring that the board of trustees fulfill their responsibilities for the governance and the strategic direction of Aching Arms.
Professional life: Sundeep is a seasoned business executive having worked in many global organisations in senior leadership roles. She has lived in many parts of the world – India, New York and London and has worked in large financial services organisations. She has extensive experience in building strategic partnerships with large and mid-sized organisations and government bodies. She has relationships with members of the media and press. She is also an active contributor to various publications on topics that are close to her heart. Her contribution to the Huffington Post on baby loss has been widely read and circulated.
Melissa joined Aching Arms as a volunteer in 2013, following the death of her first-born Madison Veda. Melissa is the hospital coordinator for four of her local hospitals in North West England, supporting both the Delivery and Early Pregnancy wards. She has spoken at various events, including bereavement study days, on behalf of the charity and she speaks passionately about Madison and how Aching Arms has helped both her and her husband cope with their loss. Melissa is a trained Ambassador for Aching Arms and a keen fundraiser who was elected a Trustee in February 2018.
Melissa is currently a teaching assistant in early years and a part time domiciliary carer for a private care company. Melissa has worked as a customer relations and complaints resolution manager prior to this. Melissa is also mum to her four rainbows.
Donna started volunteering for Aching Arms after losing her daughter Violet in 2013. Initially focused on preparing bears for her local hospital in Southampton, she soon branched out to become an ambassador, delivering training in hospitals across the south coast. Donna has utilised her skills over the years to support Aching Arms in creating strategy and delivery plans to support the growth of the charity. More recently Donna has been helping to grow the corporate exposure, managing the LinkedIn pages and supporting the design and delivery of the workplace training
Donna has worked for a global insurance company for 15 years, focusing on management of change and transformation activity. Outside work, she has two children and enjoys live music and theatre. Donna became a Trustee for Aching Arms in January 2022 and is looking forwards to bringing her passion for better workplace support for baby loss and change management skills to support the charity.
Andrew Morris is a seasoned business leader with extensive experience in strategy, operations, and digital marketing. Currently serving as Head of IT and Marketing at IRM UK, Andrew leads on strategy, product development, and marketing for a portfolio of high-profile conferences. With a background spanning event management, business development, and charity sector programmes, he brings a broad skillset and a proven track record of driving operational excellence.
In addition to his professional expertise, Andrew has a deep personal commitment to the mission of Aching Arms, having experienced baby loss in 2021. This personal connection fuels his passion for providing support to bereaved parents and advocating for their needs. As a Certified Digital Marketer with the Digital Marketing Institute, Andrew leverages his expertise to enhance brand visibility and engagement, helping organisations to grow and deliver impact.
Marie became a postal volunteer for Aching Arms after the death of her second child, Matilda, in 2022. Marie and her husband were given an Aching Arms bear as they left the hospital without their daughter. The bear became an important fixture in the family's life, with Matilda's big brother often falling asleep holding it. She has found the role as a volunteer rewarding and loves to take time and care preparing the bears and reading each baby's name. Marie has been a nurse in the NHS for 10 years, with her current role being a Senior Emergency Department Charge Nurse focusing on the education and development of staff. She has recently joined the Board as a Secretary, hoping to bring her experience within the NHS to advance the care and support provided to bereaved families.
Steve joined Aching Arms in April 2026 as a Trustee to take on the treasurer role. Steve became aware of Aching Arms following a corporate partnership with his employers and was instantly struck by the amazing work Aching Arms does for bereaved parents.
Steve has over 25 years experience within financial roles in his career. Outside of work Steve is a football referee and is the treasurer for a local charitable football side.
07464 508994 support@achingarms.co.uk
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