A free of charge service that supports those who have lost a child has been reported for not being a ‘registered charity’.
Heavenly Footprints was set up to be a free support and open safe space for people to talk and share stories of baby and child loss.
Laurie Shipsides set the service up after being through two baby losses herself and wanted to make sure people didn’t feel alone.
Service Reported
Shipsides says she’s “absolutely heartbroken” that someone reported her for being an unregistered charity.
She says she has never “accepted money donations off anyone” and also had a conversation with the government when she tried to register the charity when it was started.
The Registration Division told her due to not accepting money donations or an income of any sort she would not need to be registered.
However, Laurie has since received notice from the Attorney Generals Chamber that it was brought to its attention that Heavenly Footprints was acting as an unregistered charity on the island.
This has resulted in Laurie being “unable to carry on with heavenly footprints”.
On a social media post, Laurie said: “I am truly disappointed as I have never once accepted any money donations off anyone and never received an income I have always bought things out of my own pocket.”
She explained that the boxes, candles, bracelets, angels, paper and the certificates of life she made in her own time.
Shipsides says that she stated “in every post” that she doesn’t accept money donations and that if anyone did wish to donate any money to donate to the children charities on the island.
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