A BEREAVED parent whose twin sons were stillborn has been made an MBE for his services to mental health.

Richard Boyd, from Southend, was awarded in recognition of his tireless work promoting mental health in the workplace and supporting others affected by baby loss.

In 2011, the 44-year-old's twin sons, Nathan and Lincoln, were stillborn.

He has since spent the last nine years working with other bereaved parents and provided support to anyone affected by baby loss.

The Senior Policy Adviser at the Department for Business and Trade said he was honoured to be made an MBE in the King's Birthday Honours.

He said: "I have been working with other bereaved parents since 2016 to help anyone affected by baby loss through bereavement befriending and workplace support.

"I have shared my experiences at charity and workplace events and contributed to books and research.

"This honour came as a genuine surprise, and I am grateful for being nominated for this work."

His work entails making the journey of grief less harrowing for others. He pointed out that everyone has their unique ways of dealing with their loss.

Mr Boyd added: "Being a bereaved parent is like being in a club that no-one wanted to join but there are thousands of other members here with a duty to make membership less awful for each other.

"We all have different ways of living with our losses and part of my way has been to offer help to those that have lost babies by offering support and pointing the way to guidance, information and communities of kindred spirits to help them and others understand different ways to find theirs.

"As we approach Father’s Day, it can be a time of mixed emotions for families, and I recommend the support from Sands to help at this time."