Funding from Cornwall Group is helping to honour babies with a memorial garden
A mid Cornwall-based charity is raising funds to create a peaceful burial and memorial garden for babies lost before 24 weeks of pregnancy. Rest with Joseph and Friends have received generous support from Cornwall Group via their fundA sum of money made available for grant making, often with specific criteria/conditions. with Cornwall Community Foundation to help bring this vision to life.
The charity’s mission is to provide comfort, recognition and healing for parents who have experienced the loss of a child through miscarriage. Founded by parents who lost their own son, Joseph, at 23 weeks’ gestation, Rest with Joseph and Friends understands first-hand the isolation and unspoken grief that often follows early pregnancy loss.
The garden will offer families a permanent, natural burial space that is warm, peaceful and non-cemetery in feel. Providing a place where parents can reflect, mourn and lay their beloved sons or daughters to rest with dignity.
For many families, early miscarriage or stillbirth remains an unacknowledged loss. There is no legal requirement to bury babies lost before 24 weeks, and the grief parents experience is often overlooked. The memorial garden addresses this gap by offering a permanent resting place at no cost, giving families a space to remember and honour their child. Each baby has a marked grave with a plaque, providing recognition and comfort to grieving parents.
The garden will not only gives families a place to grieve but also helps break the silence around early pregnancy loss. By recording and memorialising each child, they provide a supportive space that acknowledges their lives and helps families begin to heal.
They are still on the lookout for the perfect plot to build their memorial garden and we hope to be able to update you on their progress soon. Below is their vision for how the garden will look.
Follow their journey and read more about Rest with Joseph and Friends.
About the Funder
When Cornwall Group limited established their acorn fundFunds that grow over time with donor making regular contributions with Cornwall Community Foundation in 2009 with an initial donation of £3,850, they planted the seeds of something extraordinary. Today, that small beginning has flourished into an endowmentMoney that is invested for the long-term. fund worth over half a million pounds, distributing more than £150,000 in grants to support communities across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
As a founding member of the CCF Business Club when it was established in 2008, Cornwall Group has demonstrated a long-term commitment to corporate social responsibility that goes far beyond one-off donations. Their approach exemplifies how strategic, sustained philanthropy can create lasting change.
From family business to community cornerstone
Cornwall Group is a family-owned business specialising in the manufacture, production and installation of glass and glazing products for commercial, trade, architectural and domestic customers. But their expertise extends beyond their technical craft – they have long embraced the idea of community support as an integral part of their business values.
Mark Mitchell, Chairman of the Cornwall Group, has been instrumental in driving this commitment to community. His dedication to Cornwall’s charitable sector extends beyond his business role – he also served as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees for Cornwall Community Foundation, bringing invaluable insight and leadership to the organisation.
