FAMILIES who have suffered the pain of losing a baby are being invited to join a special service at Bradford Cathedral tomorrow.

The Saying Goodbye services, a branch of the Mariposa Trust, pay tribute to babies lost at any stage of pregnancy, birth or in infancy.

Bradford hosted one of 18 initial services last year, and the Cathedral is again being used as a West and South Yorkshire base for this year's event.

Saying Goodbye was established by Zoe and Andy Clark-Coates, who have suffered the loss of five children through miscarriage.

"We wanted to create services that would give a wonderful goodbye to babies that have been lost, and allow the parents to grieve in a supportive environment," said Mr Clark-Coates.

"The reaction to them has been amazing, and we've had thousands of people attend."

The Trust has grown rapidly over the past year, with more than 20 Saying Goodbye services scheduled to take place across the UK this time around, plus a first in the USA, at the Central Park Cathedral in New York in December.

The charity has also developed 'Growing You', a support mechanism for couples going through pregnancy, 'Holding Hope', help for those undergoing fertility treatment, and 'Waiting for You', advice for couples looking to adopt.

The service at Bradford will feature music, poetry and readings, mixed with acts of remembrance and time for reflection. It is free to attend and open to anyone of any faith or no faith.

"Normally the audiences tend to be around two thirds women and a third men, but in last year's Bradford service there was a lot of men who came on their own, which was unusual, but really good to see," said Mr Clark-Coates.

"We try to include something in each service that will be helpful and personal to everyone, which might be a particular poem or song.

"We do something called 'claiming the memories', where hand-bells are passed around the congregation and people ring them for every child they have lost.

"People often say it helps to give a voice to their child, as many lost their babies without hearing them make a sound. It is deeply moving."

Approximately one in four - or 250,000 - pregnancies end in miscarriage, plus 4,000 through still birth and more in infancy in the UK each year.

Justin and Emma Hargrave, of Queensbury, who suffered the devastating loss of three babies, Joel, Cameron, and Evan, in 2005, 2006, and 2009, said they fully supported the concept behind the Saying Goodbye services.

"It helps promote awareness that losing a child is still very common," said Mr Hargrave.

"It is a very individual thing, as everyone has their own way of dealing with the grief, but I'm sure that some people will find an annual service like this a supportive and comforting experience."

For more information on the service, visit www.sayinggoodbye.org.