A MOTHER and father who set up a charity in memory of their stillborn son have been nominated for an award for their inspirational work.

Lisa and Russell Ventura, from St John's, Worcester, have been nominated in the 2014 Butterfly Awards.

The national awards celebrates organisations and people who work tirelessly to raise awareness of early pregnancy loss, stillbirth and neonatal death, prevent it and support parents facing it.

The couple, who founded the charity Frankie's Legacy and run Worcestershire Bereavement Support Group, have been nominated for the Inspirational Father and Inspirational Mother awards.

Reverend David Southall, chaplain of the Worcestershire Royal Hospital, has also been nominated in the Bereavement Worker category for the support he offered the couple in the aftermath of Francesco "Frankie" Enrico Ventura's death last year.

Frankie's Legacy raises funds to improve facilities in the delivery suite at the hospital, on Charles Hastings Way, while the bereavement group supports people who have suffered pregnancy loss, stillbirth or neonatal death.

The couple said they were over the moon to find out they had been nominated.

Mrs Ventura said: "We were so full of hopes and dreams when we found out we were expecting our son Frankie after a series of miscarriages over a ten year period, only to have them shattered into a million pieces when he was born sleeping last year.

"One in four women experience early pregnancy loss or stillbirth and we aim to break the silence of this and talk about our son and keep his memory alive through the work we do to raise awareness of early pregnancy loss and stillbirth.

"We also had no hesitation in nominating Rev’d David Southall for a Butterfly Award, his support and compassion when we lost Frankie was incredible and if it wasn’t for him, we would be in a much darker place than we are now.”

The red carpet event will be held on Saturday, October 11 at the Chesford Grange Hotel in Warwickshire.

To vote for Mr and Mrs Ventura, log on to thebutterflyawards.com/index.php/voting/userprofile/russellventura or thebutterflyawards.com/index.php/voting/userprofile/frankieslegacy.

Votes for Rev Southall can be cast via thebutterflyawards.com/index.php/voting/userprofile/revdavidsouthall.

Worcestershire Bereavement Support Group meets at Bindles on the second Tuesday of every month and work with Towards Tomorrow Together to provide memory boxes to give to bereaved parents at county hospitals.