What’s in a name? Well, quite a lot, actually. It took me ages to decide what to call my business. Previously known as Catherine Ross Communications, I knew that if I wanted to develop from a sole trader into a small consultancy, I’d be better able to do it without my own name in the business name.

The other problem with my old business name was that it was just so long, my email and web addresses went on forever.

As I specialise in environmental and charity PR, I considered lots of options. Some were already taken, others didn’t quite seem quite right. Finally I settled on PlanetPR. I like it. It does a good job of describing what I do, while being succinct and I love the alliteration.

I’m not the only one changing my name. Today, the Foundation for the Study into Infant Death (FSID) changed its name. It’s a charity set up to support grieving families and fund research into why young babies die suddenly for no apparent reason – known as cot death. The charity lobbies government and promotes expert advice on safe baby sleep.

The old name was very functional. It told you what the charity did. But it wasn’t very warm and welcoming.

Recently, through Twitter, I became aware of a very sad story. A loving family lost their baby daughter to sudden infant death. Matilda Mae was just nine months old when she died in her sleep. Her mum, Jennie, sought support from friends through twitter. Even though I didn’t know the family, Jennie’s twitter feed was suddenly the saddest place on the internet. Every tweet I read tore at my heartstrings and I felt devastated on their behalf.

Jennie and her family received support through FSID and have pledged to work with the charity in Matilda Mae’s name.

Today, the FSID became The Lullaby Trust. The charity says:  “‘The Lullaby Trust’ communicates warmth, trust and compassion. It is a simple name which is easy to remember and illustrates our commitment to promoting safer sleep for babies to every family.”

I think they’re right. Lullabies were an intrinsic part of my old children’s babyhoods. I would sing to both of them to soothe them and help them off to sleep.  Our favourites were Baby Mine and Somewhere over the rainbow.

Now that my children don’t need me to sing lullabies to help them off to sleep, I would like to give them to the Lullaby Trust in memory of Matilda Mae.

Here’s Bette Middler singing Baby Mine in classic tearjerker, Beaches (it also featured in the Disney classic, Dumbo): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCgDgJsTR_w .

And here’s Judy Garland doing a much better job than I ever did of singing Somewhere over the Rainbow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HRa4X07jdE.  This version even has subtitles so you can learn the words for yourself.