Bliss little heroes walk and buggy push in Ipswich’s Christchurch Park on Saturday

The 5km Little Heroes Walk and Buggy Push returns to Christchurch Park this weekend to raise money for premature and sick babies.

The third annual event will feature people of all ages taking part, and youngsters dressed in their best superhero outfits for the occasion.

“It’s a really uplifting experience,” said organiser Liz Hillier. “It’s for children and families, really, and it’s about babies, but it is just about having fun.”

Ms Hillier works on the Framlingham ward on Fridays at Ipswich Hospital, where she has seen the support available for parents of premature or sick babies from Bliss – support she says wasn’t available for her own daughter Bethan when she became critically ill at three days old.

“When I go in on a Friday I get to see first hand the support points, and get to see the support that wasn’t available for my own child,” she said. “I was lucky but that is always the concern.”

Ms Hillier is working on a number of campaigns with the cause, including the It’s Not A Game project to help parents with the financial burdens of having a baby on a neonatal unit.

She added: “It’s about building a community because all the parents I have talked to say it’s got to be the loneliest place in the world being the parent of a neonatal baby.”

As well as the walk, the buggy push will feature a teddy bears’ picnic, with prizes for the best dressed teddy, and Ipswich MP and junior health minister Ben Gummer will be at the event with his family to support the cause.

Mr Gummer said: “Bliss does excellent work supporting the parents of babies born premature or sick and the neonatal professionals who work with them, as well as putting these babies’ voices at the heart of decision-making and supporting research to improve outcomes for them.”

The event, which will include face painting and games, is free and runs from 11am to 1pm on Saturday.