Each year everyone in the Refresh team nominates a charity that they would like us all to support for the coming 12 months. This year, the team has collectively chosen the amazing Sands.
Sands is probably a charity that you only know about if you – or someone you love – needs it, but the work that Sands carries out is incredibly vital.
Babies are dying every day. Currently in the UK, 13 families a day suffer the heartbreak of losing their baby before, during or shortly after birth. And an estimated 1 in 4 pregnancies ends in miscarriage. More children die around the time of birth than at any other time of childhood.
The team at Sands is determined to save every life they can, and make sure the right care and support is there for every bereaved family, whenever and wherever they need it.
The death of a baby is a devastating loss for any parent, and every death leaves a deep scar in the lives of their whole family, their family’s friends, and the wider community.
The charity helps support bereaved parents from the moment their baby dies and is there for as long as they need this, through its free bereavement support services, including a helpline, local support groups, Sands United football teams and more.
All of this support can help parents begin to cope with what’s happened and find a way to move forward.
Sands also helps wider family members and friends know what to say and do when a baby dies, and by raising awareness in society the charity is helping everyone find the words to talk about pregnancy and baby loss.
The charity offers training for healthcare professionals, and improves the bereavement care parents receive in hospital, including providing free memory boxes that help parents build a lifelong bond with their baby.
And Sands believes research is vital in improving our understanding of how to save babies’ lives and using that evidence to drive changes in maternity policy and practice.
Sands amplifies the voices of bereaved families and healthcare professionals, campaigns for change in policy and practice, and funds research to understand why babies die.
So, what will we do?
Everyone at Refresh receives volunteer days each year. These are paid days off to make a difference, using PR skills to benefit causes or organisations close to our hearts. Many of us over the coming year will be using this time to help Sands. We’ll be launching a JustGiving page shortly to collect donations online, and we’ll be undertaking all kinds of crazy and wonderful fundraising activities. Watch out for more news soon!
Follow Sands
If you’d like to help just a little bit, you can follow Sands on Twitter: @SandsUK, Instagram: @sandscharity, Facebook: sandscharity and Linkedin: SandsUK to hear more about the milestones that the charity is achieving in this vital field.