Dan Atkinson FPFS APP ACSI and his wife Hannah were on hand to see their daughter Phoebe complete a Splashathon in aid of Tommy’s, a charity that raises support for families who have experienced miscarriages, still-births and other pregnancy complications

The couple have been raising money for the charity after they tragically lost their first child through a miscarriage two years ago.

Mr Atkinson said: “A miscarriage is one of the most painful things which can happen. Not just when it happens but it’s on-going pain as you never got to meet your child. To have a charity who will do some research and have some centres where they will help parents who have had recurring miscarriages is vital.”

One in four pregnancies in the UK result in the death of a baby, according to Tommy’s.

Mr Atkinson’s daughter raised £1200 for Tommy’s after completing the Splashathon this week, and he said the event was ‘really good fun’.

He said: “Phoebe has a class of about 6 or 7 and there was pure joy in the faces of these kids when they were splashing around. They are all about one-year-old.

“I’m just about to put in the claim which is £1200 including the matching gift aid from EQ. The county of Hertfordshire raised just over £30,000 and as a national effort, £800,000 was raised by the end of last week. Tommy’s target is to reach £1m and they’re hopeful they might be able to reach that target in a couple of weeks.

During the Splashathon, Phoebe and other young children swam a width alongside their parents, with the money raised being used to provide further research into miscarriages and other pregnancy problems.