Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

Sunderland bereavement charity 4Louis has helped thousands of families across the country come to terms with the loss of a loved one during the coronavirus pandemic.

The organisation was founded ten years ago by mum Kirsty Knight following the death of her first son, Louis, 12 days before his due date in 2009.

It supports parents going through the trauma of still birth, miscarriage and child loss with its memory boxes, which capture mementos of their baby or child.

Based at Pallion Industrial Estate, the family-run charity relies on a team of volunteers to make up around 1,500 memory boxes each month, which are distributed to 200 hospitals across the UK, and these are sent to delivery suites, neonatal units and adult oncology.

4Louis founder Kirsty Knight with items from the memory box given to Muslim families.

But when the Covid pandemic forced the country into lockdown in March, the charity – like many others – found itself faced with its biggest challenge yet; how to continue its vital service during these unprecedented times.

Charity CEO, Bob McGurrell, who is Kirsty’s dad, said: “It has been hugely challenging.

"Before the virus broke out, we had 10 to 15 volunteers who would come in every day to our factory in Sunderland to help put the boxes together, but that had to stop overnight.

'We were frightened it would cripple us' - How Sunderland charity supported thousands of families who lost loved ones to Covid