Together,
We Are Sands
Sands Impact 2024-2025
Saving babies' lives. Supporting bereaved families.
Welcome
The progress we’re making as a community with a shared mission is wonderful. I feel truly honoured to be Chair of the Sands’ trustee board and part of a community making incredible things possible – which you’ll read about in this report.
I became Chair in this year, however, my connection to Sands runs far deeper. My wife Alison and I have been involved with Sands since 2007, when Alison set up our local group. And I’ve been a trustee since 2018, serving as vice-chair from 2023.
Our son Ruaridh died shortly after he was born in April 1996. And my work with Sands has always been, and continues to be driven by the wish to ensure fellow bereaved parents receive the best possible care, and to reduce the loss of babies’ lives.
We can be so proud that we’ve continued to reach out and connect more people to Sands over the last 12 months. And importantly, that we’re getting the voices of bereaved parents heard by decision-makers, whether that be politicians, researchers, clinicians, policy-makers or business leaders.
We can only achieve these things when we work together, building our community of supporters and allies who understand the importance of what we do. So united we work to save babies’ lives and support bereaved families.
This year marked a major milestone, with every hospital trust in England and every hospital board in Scotland now on the National Bereavement Care Pathway. And we’ve seen significant progress in Northern Ireland and Wales. It’s now our role to challenge and champion, to ensure those professionals have the skills, training and funding to embed the pathway standards and ensure everyone has excellent bereavement care.
Together, we also offered parents and families more opportunities to remember their babies. From new local groups to events and activities, like the beautiful Starlight Walk, bringing people together virtually and in-person. Each provided parents and families with precious moments to say their babies’ names and feel seen and understood in what can still be, for too many, a lonely journey.
I hope you feel the same sense of pride I do when you read about all that your support has helped accomplish this year. You’re a changemaker, walking alongside Sands, helping us to make sure families have a different story to tell.
Whether you volunteered your time, took on a fundraising challenge, donated, championed our work in your professional role, or helped spread the word about Sands, thank you. To our partners who amplify our voice and help us reach more families, and to the many, many others who support us in countless ways, we’re so grateful.
David Hall
Chair of Sands
Trustees
The year in numbers
Welcoming everyone who needs our support
Together, we're connecting and supporting bereaved parents and families
Where someone lives, their income, and background should never prevent them from getting the help they need. But not everyone gets the same support. That's why we remain committed to listening to parents and working alongside them to make support more accessible for everyone. And this year, we introduced new ways for people to find help so every parent feels they belong at Sands.
More support for parents affected by a Termination for Medical Reasons
Many parents who have been through a Termination for Medical Reasons (TFMR) told us they weren't sure if Sands' support was meant for them. So we developed a dedicated online support group where they can feel confident they'll be met with understanding. And since we began talking more about TFMR across our community, a growing number of people are finding our online resources too.
Empowering bereaved parents from African and Caribbean and South Asian communities to speak out for change
The first Sands Amplifying Parent Voices event brought together bereaved parents for a day of connection and understanding through their shared experience of baby loss in communities where often it isn't spoken about openly.
Women from African and Caribbean and South Asian communities face some of the highest rates of baby death. Yet their stories can go unheard. That's why the event mattered so much to parents like Zarina.
It was the first time many parents were able to speak about their baby, their loss and the whole experience. And with our continued support, several families have since shared their experiences publicly. Through Sands' social media channels and media interviews, we're helping amplify their voices and drive much-needed change for African and Caribbean and South Asian parents.
The day was also an opportunity for Sands to listen and learn from parents directly, ensuring that their experiences continue to shape and improve our support.
Helping grieving parents care for their wellbeing in new ways
The Sands Wellbeing Journal is designed to help bereaved parents make time for self-care as they navigate life after losing their baby. Writing with honesty and openness, without judgement, can be a powerful way to express feelings that can be hard to say out loud. The keepsake journal, also influenced by requests from family and friends for something special to gift, encourages parents to pause, reflect and make space for their emotions.
After listening to our parent community about the things they felt most important, the journal includes practical tools to help bring a sense of calm when thoughts can feel overwhelming. Gentle prompts help parents explore their feelings and find their own way through grief. And there’s a place for the things they’d like to say to their baby, their family or anyone part of their baby loss experience, bringing comfort and a sense of peace.
We can’t take away a parent’s heartbreak.
But together, we’re helping ease their pain.
National recognition for Sands Helpline
Our Bereavement Services team and the Sands Helpline have been recognised once again for providing the highest-quality care and support to bereaved parents, families and friends, healthcare professionals and others.
The three-year Helplines Standard accreditation from the Helplines Partnership is a quality mark that defines and certifies best practice. For Sands, the nationally recognised award reflects what matters most: making sure people can access support that’s right for them, when they need it – even as their needs change.
We were also honoured to be invited to speak as experts at the Helplines Partnership conference, to help other organisations learn from our approach to inclusivity.
Proactively bringing people to Sands
Together, we’re helping parents find the support they need
Connecting families with compassionate care in hospital and ongoing support through Sands
The care parents receive during and after the loss of a baby leaves a lasting impression. These moments are deeply personal, and sensitive, compassionate support can make a meaningful difference. Yet, healthcare professionals may not always have access to the training or resources they need to provide this care.
That’s where our Hospital Liaison Volunteers (HLV) play a vital role. Drawing on their own experiences, HLVs generously give their time to support hospital teams and families, helping to turn personal loss into a source of strength and connection.
HLVs like James, Megan and Sandra act as a bridge between hospital staff and Sands’ training, tools and guidance, enabling professionals to access these resources to complement and support their bereavement service.
When families are ready, HLVs also help connect them with Sands’ central bereavement services and local groups, offering reassurance that ongoing support is available whenever it’s needed.
This year, 110 HLVs have worked with hospitals across the UK. Their contributions have been wide-ranging, from helping design bereavement suites and sharing insights through Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnerships to supporting Baby Loss Awareness Week and speaking at National Bereavement Care Pathway workshops.
HLVs continue to make a lasting difference to how families are cared for and supported during some of the most difficult times in their lives.
Putting people's needs first
Together, we’re finding new ways to show families they’re not alone
Bereaved families are at the heart of all we do. So we listen to parents from different backgrounds and never stop learning how to improve the support we provide. It’s how we continually grow and adapt to reach people in a way that feels right for them.
From family fun days to choirs, craft events, run clubs and ‘walk & talks’. We’re there for families in many different ways, while the care, compassion and understanding never change. And our volunteers make it all possible.
Sands Garden Day: A day of remembrance, reflection and recognition of all who make our work possible
The inspiring Sands community came together once again for the annual Sands Garden Day in June. The peaceful grounds of the National Memorial Arboretum were perfect for a day of reflection, remembrance and recognition.
With bereaved families, staff and volunteers, researchers and healthcare professionals, we looked back on all we have achieved as a community over the last year and the very special legacy we’re creating in honour of our babies.
Every person in our community plays a special part, and none more so than our volunteers. Recognising their dedication through the annual Volunteer Awards Ceremony was one of the highlights of the day. Each and every one deserves an award, and this year, 12 outstanding winners were celebrated for their compassion and commitment.
Our Hospital Liaison programme continues to go from strength to strength, growing to over 100 Hospital Liaison Volunteers (HLVs) this year.
HLVs link healthcare professionals, parents and families with Sands, local Sands groups and our central bereavement services. With their help, bereaved parents can find compassionate support at a time when the right care is crucial.
Additionally, HLVs across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are a critical step in connecting more healthcare professionals with Sands' bereavement training and resources, ensuring they can provide the best care to parents in those important moments around the death of their baby.
Many of the winners were able to receive their awards in person at Garden Day
Bringing Sands support closer to home for bereaved parents
Providing volunteers with the training and tools to set up nearby support groups and Sands United football teams is just one of the ways we're coming together to ensure every family receives the support they need, wherever they live.
Now, thanks to volunteers, families in Worcester, Leicester, the Isle of Wight, and Orkney have a place nearby where they can find in-person support and a sense of belonging. And bereaved fathers have been growing support through new Sands United teams in Taunton, Derby, Chichester, Dumbarton, Durham and Stoke. All launching during 2024-25.
Taking support to remote families
Parents often tell us how alone they feel after their baby has died. And for island communities, where support can be harder to reach, that sense of isolation can be even greater.
But thanks to volunteers like Sammy Bridges and Kaylee Hargreaves, who live on the Isle of Wight and recently trained as Befrienders, more families can easily access a community that understands.
Creating spaces that offer peace and privacy in difficult moments
The first moments after a baby dies can be the only opportunity parents have to make memories with their baby. There's only one chance to get it right.
That's why Sands is committed to calling for all hospitals to deliver Standard Two of the National Bereavement Care Pathway: All bereaved parents and families have access to an appropriate, available and accessible bereavement room.
This year we continued supporting hospital projects to transform clinical rooms into calm, comfortable spaces with extra privacy. Places where parents can spend precious time with their baby, make memories and say goodbye in peace.
However, a family's need for supportive spaces doesn't end when they leave the hospital. So we help fund projects that bring compassion and understanding into everyday places.
This year, with the help of our dedicated fundraising community, we refreshed bereavement suites, created remembrance spaces and helped turn an island airport lounge area into a dedicated space for travellers needing peace and privacy.
With the help of Shetland Sands, parents flying from Sumburgh Airport for medical appointments or with their baby for a post-mortem can find calm away from the crowds while waiting to board their flight.
Raising awareness of our cause and work
Together, we’re breaking the silence for every baby gone too soon
Baby Loss Awareness Week 2024
A movement created from love and loss
Families and communities came together to remember much-loved and missed babies, finding comfort, support and understanding in the most devastating of shared experiences.
What began around a kitchen table two decades ago continues to grow as a national moment of remembrance, support and shared hope for a world where fewer babies die.
A growing community for awareness and change
More than 130 organisations, community interest groups and charities of all sizes now make up the Baby Loss Awareness Week (BLAW) Alliance. Led and chaired by Sands, the like-minded network is united in raising awareness of pregnancy and baby loss, supporting anyone affected, improving bereavement care and reducing preventable baby deaths.
Each organisation marks the week and supports its community in its own way. While together, we support a global movement that continues to break the silence around baby death.
Buildings, public spaces, workplaces and landmarks across the UK glow pink and blue, and thousands of candles are lit in homes and at events as the #WaveOfLight spreads across the world.
A campaign that continues to touch hearts
For the second year running, the campaign’s meaning to so many was recognised by the GLOMAMA Campaign of the Year Award.
Putting the power of our remarkable community to work: 'Together, we care'
Sands put connection, belonging and care at the heart of the week – self-care and caring for others in what we say, share and do. And we took that message into every corner of the community. From workplaces to community events, we got people talking, listening and understanding baby loss better.
Turning workplaces into understanding spaces
Softcat joined long-standing partner NatWest Group as an official Sands partner for BLAW. And an incredible 60 businesses and organisations joined the campaign and our Sands community in support as BLAW Champions.
BLAW Champions open up conversations in places where baby loss is often not spoken about, creating workplaces where bereaved colleagues, customers and clients can feel seen and supported.
Beyond the workplace, businesses including John Lewis & Partners Oxford Street and Heathrow Terminals lit their buildings pink and blue, sparking conversations and moments of remembrance within their wider communities.
Sands also supported 16 companies through speaker and panel events, exploring themes around pregnancy and baby loss and how to navigate workplace bereavement with care and understanding.
Turning communities into places of connection and care
Across the country, Sands volunteers, parents and families took BLAW into their communities, creating spaces for remembrance, understanding and togetherness.
Public spaces were filled with colour and compassion as a record 205 heartfelt ribbon displays were created in memory of much-loved babies. Every handmade ribbon told a story of love and loss, with many bearing the name of babies missed and never forgotten.
Supporters and communities created displays in ways most meaningful to them, from paper ribbons in shop windows to ribbons hung from trees. An online map allowed people to find and be part of their local display. And Sands’ virtual Ribbon Remembrance Tree made sure everyone was welcome to join in, no matter where they live.
How Angie and her local support group turned care into connection
Behind every display and act of care were volunteers like Angie Halfhide, bereaved mum to Niyah-Rose, Sands Befriender, Hospital Liaison Volunteer and Chair of the Bournemouth and Poole Sands group. With her local group, Angie helped bring creativity and connection to the community.
From a Charity Variety Show giving families a few hours of respite, to craft events and ribbon displays that brought people together in remembrance and care. Working with the Women’s Institute and Southampton Sands, the group also created eye-catching postbox toppers and displays that signpost Sands’ services to those yet to find our support.
With Angie’s encouragement, local landmarks bathed in pink and blue light, reflecting a community that cares. And the group concluded the week with a livestreamed #WaveofLight service, offering bereaved families a shared moment of remembrance and hope.
Sands Awareness Week 2024
Bereaved parents tell us that when no one talks to them about their loss, it can leave them feeling isolated and lonely. That's why this week is an important moment in the annual calendar. Campaigns and events throughout the week reach even more grieving families, letting them know they're seen, understood and that we'll walk alongside them for as long as they need
Giving others confidence to talk about baby loss
A grieving parent's world changes, yet the world around them remains the same. Formal support straight after their loss soon stops, while workplaces can lack understanding, and people around them might fall silent.
However, a Sands survey found that most people in the UK who know someone affected by pregnancy or baby loss want to help. They're just unsure about how to start conversations.
So we re-launched our Finding the Words campaign to get people talking. The new resources draw on years of listening to bereaved parents about their experiences, the words they wish were more forthcoming and the conversations that would acknowledge their loss and honour their babies.
A short, shareable animation brought the campaign to life online. Alongside it, practical tools offered conversation-starter tips and deeper guidance for workplaces and community groups wanting to support bereaved families.
- Extensive media coverage including Heart Radio stations and ITV Wales
- Featured in key publication, HR Director, highlighting Bereavement in the Workplace training
- Engaged 1.8 million people through social media in June
Collaborating and learning
Together, we’re finding answers that lead to safer care
Too often, the reasons for pregnancy and baby losses are not fully understood, and this lack of understanding makes it harder to prevent future tragedies. But it doesn’t have to be this way. That’s why we’re taking action.
Understanding why babies die, how care can be made safer and how bereavement care and support can be improved begins with research.
From lab studies to hospital-based research and family focus groups, we partner with scientists, clinicians and parents to drive new discoveries.
Shaping NIHR Maternity Disparities Consortium research
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) launched its first ‘Challenge’ funding call in 2024 to tackle inequalities in maternity care.
The call was announced as part of the Department for Health and Social Care’s women’s health priorities for 2024. It will see £50m invested in research focusing on inequalities before, during and after pregnancy.
We took the findings of our Listening Project, hearing about the disparities in care experienced by Black and Asian families, and shared those voices with the new consortium. Listening to parents from diverse backgrounds at the start played a crucial role in shaping the consortium’s work.
Making it easier for bereaved parents to add their voice to research
We make sure parents who have lost a baby can take part in research because their experiences are vital to help academics and clinicians understand why babies die and how maternity and neonatal care can be improved.
The Sands Insights Network Parent Group is one way we’re connecting parents with researchers to help drive improvements.
This year, we introduced a digital platform, making it even easier for parents to get involved in the work that matches their interests. The online space is designed for collaboration and fosters community, bringing people together to share their diverse skills, experiences and stories.
Strengthening national review practice
The Perinatal Mortality Review Tool (PMRT), developed through a national collaboration involving Sands, parent representatives and clinical experts, is now used in almost every UK hospital.
In 2023 alone, more than 4,000 reviews were completed, helping teams understand why babies die, learn from each case and make care safer for future families.
This year, Sands’ bereavement care expertise was incorporated into the PMRT training package to ensure parents’ perspectives are at the heart of every review. Two new films produced, thanks to funding from the Scottish Government, are helping change the way parents and healthcare professionals approach reviews after a baby has died.
Improving how healthcare teams engage with bereaved parents
A film aimed at healthcare professionals who care for bereaved parents soon after their baby has died, builds on their understanding of why parent engagement in perinatal mortality reviews matters so much to families and how to do it well.
Featuring bereaved parents talking about their experiences of review, and maternity, neonatal and paediatric staff describing what good engagement looks like, the film helps professionals develop the confidence and understanding to approach parents with care and sensitivity. It means parents can feel more comfortable sharing their stories. And it helps teams learn from loss as they work to reduce the likelihood of another family facing the devastation of losing their baby.
Supporting parents to ask questions and be heard
The second film, created for newly bereaved parents, helps them understand what a mortality review is, why it happens and how they can take part.
Often, parents tell us they didn’t know a review was happening or that they could ask questions about their care and the decisions made during pregnancy and childbirth. Even when they were aware, many describe being spoken to insensitively or left feeling dismissed by unexplained delays.
The films help put parents’ perspectives of what happened at the heart of reviews and place the focus on answering parents’ questions about why their baby died.
Improving post-mortem consent so parents can decide with confidence
Very soon after their baby dies, parents have to face the difficult decision about a post-mortem. This means thinking about complex and often painful information. But it’s crucial parents are fully informed about the choices. Clear, consistent information helps parents understand the options and implications and make a decision that’s right for them and their baby.
Earlier this year, we led on substantial updates to the Sands Template Perinatal Post-Mortem Consent Form, in collaboration with NHS England and the Human Tissue Authority (HTA), to align with new Royal College of Pathology perinatal post-mortem guidelines. By consulting with parents and healthcare professionals, we made sure the form meets the needs of both families and medical teams.
Making the case for clear, consistent advice on babies’ movements so parents know when to seek help
Babies’ movements are known to be a potential indicator of complications in late pregnancy. Yet parents who took part in the Sands ‘Improving how we talk about babies’ movements in pregnancy’ project this year, described feeling uncertain about what’s normal and when to seek medical advice – despite regular antenatal care.
With Dr Tomasina Stacey, midwife and Senior Lecturer in Midwifery and Maternal Health Research at King’s College London, we set out to learn more about the information shared and advice given to parents about babies’ movements in pregnancy.
The ultimate aim is to establish best practice among healthcare professionals, so every parent knows what to look out for, no matter where they experience maternity care.
Learning from lived experience
As well as reviewing existing research, we brought together experts from maternity policy, practice and research with charity groups and bereaved parents to listen and learn from their experiences.
A report setting out our findings and recommendations was published in May 2025.
Safer pregnancies save more babies’ lives. And thanks to funding from Teddy’s Wish, which made this project possible, we continue to move closer to a world where fewer babies die.
Improving safety in pregnancy, birth and the neonatal period
Together, we’re campaigning to make the UK one of the safest places in the world to have a baby
Source: MBRRACE-UK
Source: MBRRACE-UK
Source: Sands and Tommy's Joint Policy Unit Saving Babies' Lives Report 2025
The Joint Policy Unit: Sands and Tommy's working together to save babies' lives
Since 2022, the Sands & Tommy's Joint Policy Unit (JPU) has been driving policy change that saves babies' lives. Using data to inform and evidence, we highlight where progress is stalling, challenge inequality and call on governments and health services to take the actions needed to make every pregnancy and birth safer.
Despite improvements, the UK still lags behind in certain areas of maternity care and outcomes. As the UK's leading pregnancy and baby loss charities, we continue to keep the pressure on politicians, ministers and decision-makers to ensure every baby death that could have been avoided is not in vain.
At least 2,500 more babies would still be alive today if the government had achieved its ambition of halving the 2010 rates of stillbirth, neonatal and maternal deaths in England since 2018. That's the same as around 100 primary school classes.
Evidencing the need for change
We continue to shape national policy, and our work has been referenced in numerous national reports, including those by the Care Quality Commission, NHS Resolution and parliamentary committees.
Ensuring baby loss stays on the national agenda
This year, we also submitted evidence to numerous consultations and inquiries, including the NHS 10-year plan, making the case for pregnancy and baby loss to be a political priority.
Saving Babies' Lives Progress Report: Unacceptable inequalities in pregnancy and baby loss persist despite continued calls for change
Our second annual Saving Babies' Lives Progress Report highlights a critical failure by the government to meet targets for reducing stillbirths and neonatal and maternal deaths.
The inexcusable gap in the number of babies dying in deprived areas compared to those in the least deprived areas of the UK continues to grow. Black babies are twice as likely as white babies to be stillborn. And the stillbirth rate of Asian babies has risen sharply.
Progress is falling short, and the response from government and policymakers to the ongoing crisis is not good enough.
Persistent inequalities, systemic failings and underinvestment in research and workforce are costing babies' lives. The report calls for a transformative government approach that matches the scale of the issue.
Demanding bold ambitions by all UK governments to reduce avoidable baby deaths
As the National Maternity Safety Ambition approaches its 2025 expiry date, it's clear that progress has stalled and
the government is not on track to meet its target.
A continued focus is critical if we're to reduce avoidable baby deaths and match the best-performing countries in Europe. So we challenged the government to renew these ambitions. And we set out bold targets, so fewer parents face the heartbreak of their baby dying.
We will hold the government to account to renew and extend maternity safety ambitions to 2035.
A call for joined-up action across all UK governments
Other European countries have shown that significant progress is achievable. And now is the time for a stronger commitment from all UK governments to prioritise saving babies' lives.
It's why we're strongly urging governments across the UK to come together on the renewed ambitions. Currently, they only apply to England. But giving every parent the best chance of a healthy baby demands that all governments make saving babies' lives a priority.
Keeping everyone in the picture on progress with new microsite and data hub
Now everyone can stay up to date on the progress being made and the work still to be done to save babies’ lives.
The JPU microsite brings our policy insight, briefings and consultation responses together in one place. And a new data hub on the site means decision-makers, professionals and the public can keep track of key metrics relevant to saving babies’ lives and tackling inequality.
Uncovering inconsistencies in maternity triage to improve timely care and support
There are serious concerns about the consistency of advice and language used by maternity triage services in England when advising women and birthing people. This was the worrying conclusion of JPU research into information given to those in early labour.
A review of 35 information sources, including five trusts from each region of England, found inconsistent guidance on when and how parents should contact triage. Subsequent delays to appropriate care and support put mums, birthing people and babies at risk.
Information concerning bleeding, waters breaking, reduced fetal movements, pain and pain relief, feeling unwell, and timing and length of contractions varied. And some advice was in contrast to evidence and women’s needs and preferences.
Using evidence to push for change
The findings support the Care Quality Commission’s national review of maternity services, which highlights triage as a key issue, and further supports the case for change.
The research and our recommendations are now in the hands of those shaping and delivering care as we continue to push for progress that gives every parent the maternity support they need.
Campaigning
Together, we’re making our voices heard
With a general election in the UK, much campaigning work had to pause as purdah and charity law prevent campaigning during the election period.
But we didn't sit back. Instead, we made candidates aware of the issues around pregnancy and baby loss that would need their attention should they gain office - paving the way for future campaigns with the new government.
Speaking up for babies yet to be born
- The general election Saving Babies’ Lives pledge called for future MPs to commit to making baby loss a national priority. Almost 1,000 supporters contacted local candidates. Over 300 candidates signed up, and 38 were elected as MPs, creating a strong foundation in the new parliament.
- One of the first debates in the new parliament was around the impact of baby loss.
- The new All-Party Parliamentary Group on Baby Loss – for which Sands holds the secretariat - was one of the first maternity APPGs to be set up despite new rules making this more difficult.
- Our End Inequality in Baby Loss campaign parent open letter received over 2,500 signatures. And our campaign parliamentary event was attended by over 50 MPs.
- We secured excellent engagement on baby loss and issues affecting bereaved families in the Northern Ireland Assembly, Scottish Parliament and the Senedd.
- Sands campaigners and supporters took over 7,000 e-actions.
- Sands facilitated a meeting between bereaved parents with lived experience of inequality in baby loss and MPs in parliament, and with the Secretary of State for Health.
- As a result of ongoing engagement by Sands and through the JPU and APPG on Baby Loss, the government has committed to considering targets to eliminate inequalities in baby loss.
- We supported over 1,000 bereaved parents in sharing their views and helping shape the Change NHS consultation and the upcoming 10-year Health Plan.
- Our first local campaigns to improve bereavement care, co-led with bereaved parents, are underway in South Yorkshire, Lewisham and Cambridge.
- We’re working alongside newly established bereaved parent campaign groups, putting their voices at the heart of our national campaigns.
Supporting families
Together, we’re there for every family when they need support
Growing community spaces for families to find comfort
The newly-created 'Forget Me Not' garden at Hazlehead Crematorium in Aberdeen is a peaceful spot for parents and anyone remembering a much-loved baby. Benches gather around an inscribed memorial stone in a gentle embrace, creating space for visitors to pause, reflect and find connection in their community. While peaceful paths amble through nature, bringing quiet comfort.
Visitors can also take a moment to share thoughts and feelings with much-missed babies and loved ones using the 'beehive postbox'. Heartfelt letters written on wildflower-seeded paper and posted are later mulched, so memories live on as wildflowers bloom, leaving a legacy of love.
Every year, the garden will be lit pink and blue for Baby Loss Awareness Week, in a shining tribute to every baby loved and never forgotten.
Funded by Aberdeen Council, Aberdeen Sands and MISS (Miscarriage Support Scotland), and created by Gerbera Designs
Leading the way to drive improvements in bereavement care across the UK
Embedding gold-standard bereavement care in all UK hospital trusts and boards
The National Bereavement Care Pathway (NBCP) continues to change the experience of baby loss across the UK. Led by Sands and delivered in partnership with several baby loss charities, Royal Colleges, parent groups, professional bodies, parent and family groups, local hospitals, trusts, boards and government bodies, the pathway sets out robust standards and a continuous improvement programme for healthcare professionals supporting families, no matter how their baby died. From miscarriage, Termination For Medical Reasons, stillbirth, neonatal death and sudden unexpected death.
Now, with NBCP projects launching in Wales and Northern Ireland this year, every hospital trust or board in the UK is united in its effort to raise the standards of bereavement care.
England
- All 128 NHS trusts with a maternity unit have adopted the pathway and committed to the bereavement care standards.
- A variety of in-person and online workshops provided practical guidance on embedding care in line with the standards, helping healthcare teams feel more confident and equipped to support parents.
- The bereavement care standards have been reviewed and updated. A new standard on learning from reviews was introduced to recognise the importance of ensuring parents remain at the centre of any reviews and investigations into their care and the care of their baby.
Scotland
- Regular networking and learning events are reaching hundreds of healthcare professionals to embed the pathways.
- An independent evaluation of the NBCP in Scotland, which heard from parents and health professionals, demonstrated the positive impact embedding the NBCP has on those delivering bereavement care and the families they support.
Wales and Northern Ireland
- A range of local listening and engagement events took place, putting lived experience at the heart of the pathway projects as they begin to take shape in the two countries. Healthcare professionals shared their views and experiences of the current bereavement care service. While bereaved parents and families told their stories of pregnancy loss and baby death.
- Resources and training will continue to be rolled out over the next year as the framework and standards are embedded across every trust and board.
L-R Heather Reid, Interim Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals at the PHA; Melissa Crockett, Sands NBCP NI manager; Mike Nesbitt, Minister of Health for NI; Caroline Keown, Chief Midwifery Officer for Department of Health for NI.
Putting exceptional bereavement care in the spotlight
Together, we’re inspiring the kind of care that changes how families experience baby loss
“She has been our guardian angel as we navigate the worst journey we could have imagined for our family.”
Each year, the Elaine Thorp Award for Bereavement Care shines a light on midwives, nurses and other healthcare professionals whose compassion and dedication make an extraordinary difference to bereaved families.
Nominations from bereaved parents and families make the highly regarded award more meaningful and highlight the significant impact personalised, sensitive care can have in the most difficult moments.
Beyond recognising and promoting excellence, the award also helps us reach more healthcare professionals with Sands training and resources, and is a vital signpost to opportunities for embedding improved standards of bereavement care.
Elaine Thorp Award winner 2024: Julie Wills
Julie, a Midwife at St Michael’s Hospital in Bristol, has worked in the NHS for 23 years. For 12 of those, she worked as a Healthcare Assistant supporting midwifery teams. It was during that time she realised she wanted to be there for people through their baby’s birth and beyond.
“I would help look after women and their families who had suffered unimaginable losses. Seeing the pain and grief on their faces as they were told that their baby’s heart had stopped beating was just heartbreaking to see. I wanted to be there for these families both professionally and emotionally and help guide them through their birth journey and beyond.
“I was taken aback to be nominated by a bereaved family or parent that I have had the honour to look after and care for at a very emotional and life-changing time. At the same time, I feel humbled that I would have made such an impression on these families that they feel I need to be acknowledged for it.”
Julie
Equipping professionals and volunteers with the skills and knowledge they need
Our Training and Education team has continued to innovate on how, where and when training is delivered to healthcare professionals - our largest training cohort and a continuing priority for Sands. This includes e-learning, which can be completed at the learner’s pace, and the development of learning materials that can be delivered by NHS staff themselves with Sands’ support.
This complements our existing portfolio of webinars and in-person training sessions in hospitals the length and breadth of the UK, where NHS staff hear directly from parent speakers on their experience of baby loss.
The impact of a parent speaker - sometimes back on the ward where they experienced their loss – in helping shape better care for others is hard to overestimate. We build connections between NHS staff and the patients they treat by acknowledging the impact baby loss has on all who encounter it.
Enabling better bereavement care beyond hospital wards
The care and support parents receive in the moments immediately after a baby has died has a lasting impact and can shape their grief. But the need for good bereavement care goes beyond the maternity ward.
One of the ways we make sure families are met with sensitive support once they leave hospital is through Sands training and education for those working in the community, like counsellors, police officers and faith leaders.
Workshops, webinars and practical resources help community-based professionals understand what families need when a baby dies, giving them the confidence to offer care that feels personal, sensitive and right for each family.
Every session and tool is shaped by parents’ lived experience, helping professionals see the reality of loss, the support that makes the greatest difference and the lasting impact when that care is missing.
Sensitive support at every stage, from first response to investigation, advocacy and research
Training tailored to how and when community professionals work with grieving parents is helping clinical and non-clinical teams approach sensitive conversations with care.
This year, Sands training reached new audiences, including several police forces, Medical Examiners in England and Wales, National Maternity and Neonatal Voice Partnership Leads, Independent Senior Advocates and researchers whose roles require understanding and compassion.
Continuing to equip everyone at Sands with the skills and confidence to support bereaved families
Three new e-learning modules designed for Sands staff and volunteers are helping non-clinical teams working alongside people grieving a much-loved baby better understand their loss and support them with confidence.
Helping more grieving families feel safe and supported at work
No one should feel alone or unable to speak about their baby wherever they work. But not all workplaces offer sensitive and safe support to colleagues who have been touched by baby loss.
Now, thanks to Sands' Bereavement in the Workplace (BITW) training, bereaved parents and families are more likely than ever before to be met with compassion and open conversation as they return to work.
Over the last three years, we've reached 168 organisations that together employ more than 600,000 people. And this year, an independent evaluation heard directly from participants about the training's powerful impact.
As a trusted national leader in workplace training on pregnancy and baby loss, we'll continue evolving to meet the needs of both employers and employees. The evaluation not only confirms the vital impact of our BITW training, but it also shows where we can grow our support and reach even more workplaces, more effectively.
Between 2022 and 2025, Bereavement in the Workplace training was partly funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. Sands commissioned the National Council for Voluntary Organisations to conduct an independent evaluation of the DHSC-funded work.
How Bereavement in the Workplace training is changing workplace culture
Understanding
Participants left with a greater awareness of baby death, from the different types of loss to the ways it affects people.
Confident conversations
After the training, nine in ten people felt confident speaking about pregnancy and baby loss – almost three times as many as before.
More compassionate policies
Many organisations used what they'd learned to review or create new HR policies, making lasting change in how staff are supported.
Ready with care
The training helped colleagues feel prepared to sensitively support others and share their own experiences.
Raising the standard of bereavement care in the workplace
This year, Sands' Bereavement in the Workplace training became CPD-accredited, formally recognising it as high-quality, evidence-based learning.
Piloting new ways to support workplaces and bereaved employees
We extended our workplace support to help businesses and organisations be more understanding and compassionate places for anyone affected by pregnancy loss or the death of a baby.
Working closely with our Corporate Partnerships & Philanthropy team, the one-year Workplace Bereavement Support Services Officer pilot offered guidance to employers as they support staff returning to work. The role also provided direct support to employees as they learn to adapt to a world that feels painfully different from the one they had hoped for. While regular drop-in sessions and online one-to-one clinics welcomed anyone affected by a baby’s death or supporting someone as they learn to live with loss.
Diversifying training methods to meet different needs
Finding time for training while at work can be a challenge. By investing in a learning management system this year, we’re expanding bereavement training tailored to corporate environments, starting with interactive e-learning modules. Employees can now complete training in just 30 minutes or at their own pace. This allows those who find the materials challenging for any reason to take breaks and complete their learning in a private space away from others.
Helping workplaces offer support that's personal to every parent
The new Sands 'We are all unique' animation helps employers to consider the things that make baby death different for us all. In turn, we're making sure support always starts with the individual.
Many factors can shape grief and what follows for parents and families, including the circumstances in which a baby dies, culture and faith. The animation supports managers and colleagues to consider how they can meet individual needs rather than making assumptions based on their own beliefs or ethnicity.
Using every opportunity
to raise awareness
Together, we’re making pregnancy and baby loss impossible to ignore
More people understanding why babies die and its lasting impact on families is the first step towards changing the story for parents living with loss and for babies yet to be born. So we actively seek opportunities to talk about baby death, our work saving babies’ lives and how we’re supporting bereaved families.
Putting powerful parent stories in the spotlight
One of the best ways to help more people understand how serious pregnancy and baby loss is and steer change in the right direction for parents, is for people to hear about people’s experiences and the impact that pregnancy and baby loss can have on individuals and families. That’s why we support bereaved parents to speak out about baby loss in a way that’s right for them.
Vaishali was one of the parents who shared her story as part of Sands’ End Inequality in Baby Loss campaign. We worked with Vaishali as a volunteer campaigner and supported her to have her story, her voice and her calls for change heard and shared in the media, including pieces with iNews and interviews on the BBC and SkyNews.
Raising Sands' voice for parents everywhere
Our mission and work reached audiences across the UK when Chief Executive, Clea Harmer, shared Sands' expert response to Government announcements on national radio and TV programmes, including BBC Breakfast. It's another way we're leading the call for urgent and ongoing action to improve maternity and bereavement care and bereavement support.
Using media moments to reach more families
Every time Sands makes an appearance in the media, we’re letting families know that we’re here for them when they need us and for as long as they want our support.
When we respond to stories like the discovery of a community grave used to bury stillborn babies long ago, often without parents’ knowledge, they’re important moments to connect more families with Sands’ community.
Engaging with journalists is also an important part of our work. So when they cover news items that could be distressing for bereaved parents, they do so sensitively and direct people to support.
Partnering with Britain’s best-loved TV shows to spark more conversations about baby death
This year, we helped millions of people better understand pregnancy loss and baby death when we contributed to powerful soap opera storylines.
When two of Coronation Street and Emmerdale’s most popular characters were to experience stillbirth and pregnancy complications, raising issues around maternity care, the shows consulted Sands as trusted experts on these matters.
Working closely with the soaps’ story teams, our Bereavement Support Team and other Sands staff supported sensitive storylines that reflect lived experience.
It was a valuable opportunity to increase awareness, spark conversations, and, importantly, signpost Sands’ support at the end of episodes and in the shows’ promotional coverage.
When we’re aware of storylines covering pregnancy and baby loss inaccurately or insensitively, we encourage those shows to learn and understand. So in future, appropriate organisations are consulted, and storylines better reflect reality.
Helping more people find Sands through online content
People find support in different ways. And we continue to make our social media spaces warm, open and welcoming to everyone learning to live with baby loss. Relatable content and stories from parents of all backgrounds are helping grieving families and others find connection, belonging and reassurance that they’re not alone. We’re also using our online spaces to help family, friends and colleagues better understand what families are experiencing and how best to be there for them.
Marking days that matter, together
Many religious and cultural moments can be some of the most difficult for people grieving a baby. So we recognise them, often sharing personal experiences and always linking people back to support. And we mark dates like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Rainbow Baby Day that many bereaved parents and families have told us mean so much to them.
During Ramadan, bereaved father Saj shared the story of his son Haroon and the role of his faith in navigating grief. In sharing, he offered comfort and hope to other bereaved fathers affected by pregnancy or baby loss, encouraging them to seek the support they need.
Teacher and councillor Saj has also used his personal grief journey to work with Sands to raise awareness of baby loss within South Asian communities.
Recognising everyone to grow our compassionate community
This year we developed content for Rainbow Baby Day, adding this as a moment in the calendar that many in our community recognise and mark. We recognised the multitude of experiences that are connected to this day, including those who don’t go on to have a rainbow baby. Our lead post for the day became one of Sands’ most-liked posts ever, with 275,000 people seeing it, 1,700 people sharing it, and important conversations shared together.
Award-winning Sands community
We were honoured to receive the GLOMAMA Charity of the Year 2025 award, made possible by our Sands community. From those who campaign alongside us to families who share stories with us and parents who give their time to support others. Together, we're saving babies' lives.
Fundraising in focus: The highlights
This year marked the final year of Sands’ fundraising and engagement strategy launched in 2019 - and what a journey it’s been.
Over the course of the strategy, our income has more than doubled - from £3.8 million in 2018 to more than £8.0 million today.
This near-continuous year-on-year growth reflects an extraordinary collective effort from our community, partners and teams. It shows what’s possible when people unite around a shared purpose - supporting bereaved families, saving babies’ lives and driving change together.
That progress reflects deep trust, innovation and connection. Sands remains a sector pioneer in virtual fundraising, having led the way since 2020 in creating large-scale virtual events that unite thousands of people wherever they are. Our events continue to thrive, inspiring communities across the UK to take part and share their stories.
Our portfolio of events has also grown significantly, with Ribbon Run and Starlight Walks bringing families, friends and colleagues together across the UK to honour their babies and raise vital funds.
These events have become powerful moments of remembrance, connection and community, embodying what it means to be Real. Human. United in change.
Alongside this, we’ve seen significant growth in income from our partners, and Trusts and Foundations, helping to fund Sands’ bereavement support, training and research.
A ‘test and learn’ approach has shaped much of our work, piloting new ideas, investing in our supporter experience and broadening the ways people can support and engage with Sands.
From digital innovation to workplace partnerships, this diversification has strengthened our funding mix and built greater resilience for the future, helping Sands reach more people than ever before.
Our brand awareness has also continued to rise steadily. Just over one in five people have now heard of Sands, a rise of 10% from five years ago. It’s a reflection of how far our community has come in opening conversations and driving change.
This growing awareness matters. The more people who know about Sands, the more families can find our support when they need it most. Greater awareness also strengthens our voice, helping us influence policy, improve maternity and bereavement care and save babies’ lives.
Every new connection, every conversation sparked, helps to break the silence around baby loss and build a world where no family faces it alone.
Through it all, one thing has never changed: our focus on people. Every supporter, volunteer and partner is part of Sands’ story - a community united in compassion, remembrance and change.
Looking ahead
As we look to the next chapter, our new fundraising and engagement strategy will build on this strong foundation, scaling our fundraising and engagement to reach even more families, deepen relationships with our supporters and partners, and drive the change still so urgently needed.
We’ll continue to innovate, invest in new ideas and strengthen the ways people can connect with Sands, ensuring every supporter, volunteer and partner feels part of a growing movement of compassion and change.
Together, we will keep moving forward to create a world where fewer babies die and every family receives the care and support they need.
Challenge events
Bereaved parents and those who support them came together at Sands' organised events, volunteer-led community activities and joined in virtually to honour the babies who'll never be forgotten. Turning grief into action, they also raised awareness and funds, so fewer families face the heartbreak of losing their baby, and everyone receives the best care possible if their baby dies.
Starlight Walk
Last winter, paths, parks and streets across the UK were lit by the warmth of lantern lights and never-ending love for much-missed babies.
For the first time this year, we welcomed people to the Sands Starlight Walk Leeds, where 200 participants raised an incredible £20,200. This latest location is the third in the series of Sands-organised walks, alongside Edinburgh and Bristol.
With a dedicated webpage for the walk this year, it was even easier to find out about local events and get involved in person or virtually.
Ribbon Run
Over 5,000 people joined the virtual event during Baby Loss Awareness Week. Some walked, others ran, jogged or wheeled, and some pushed prams and buggies. No matter when, where or the distance, they came together in remembrance of every baby loved and missed, and to help Sands reach and support more families when they need it most.
Some supporters took part in person, thanks to Sands volunteer Ribbon Run Champions organising community Ribbon Runs. For a second year, 42 volunteer Ribbon Run Champions brought the event close to home, connecting more than 300 supporters.
Partnering for change
Businesses big and small are a vital part of the Sands community. Their fundraising, practical support and willingness to talk openly about baby loss help us reach more families, fund vital research and improve care.
Fearless support from the Financial Ombudsman Service
A daring team of 27 skydivers took a leap of support when they jumped out of a plane from 10,000 feet up. Their heart-stopping freefall was another remarkable show of support by the organisation and its employees for families facing the heartbreak of losing a baby.
HSBC digs deep
Thanks to a green-fingered team of volunteers, the Sands Garden at the National Memorial Arboretum was blooming for families who joined us at our Garden Day.
Seasalt Cornwall helps bereaved families keep precious memories
Many hands make light work, and it wasn't long before the Sands' Memory and Care Boxes were packed and ready for families the moment they need one.
Removing barriers to lifesaving support for more grieving families
Calls to Sands Helpline rose by 44% in 2023, and a concerning number of bereaved parents who turn to us for help share thoughts of suicide. With limited community support, we're committed to being there for anyone who needs us when it matters most. That's why we launched the 'Providing a lifeline after baby and pregnancy loss' appeal.
With the help of Sands supporters and the chance to double donations through the Big Give, we're making sure everyone gets the help they need, no matter where they live, their income or background.
Together, we’re changing lives: What the appeal will help make possible:
- A Sands counselling programme to help bereaved parents access the support they need sooner and remove barriers to costly private care. So people in desperate need can get the timely support they deserve.
- An investment in training for our community based Befrienders to help them support bereaved parents in the most challenging of times.
- Expansion of our work with the African and Caribbean and South Asian communities, to help ensure everyone receives culturally sensitive support and accessible resources.
- More online services for people facing additional barriers or inequalities, such as domestic abuse, addiction and LGBTQ+ parents, so everyone has a safe space for support.
- Resources such as wellness packs and journals, and activity-based support such as choir groups, will help foster positive mental health amongst more families.
More supporters find their way to Sands with handmade ribbon pins
Sands' pins are a way for people to commemorate babies gone too soon during Baby Loss Awareness Week. Every pin purchased helps give a grieving parent or their family someone to talk to who understands. And when they're worn, they spark conversations to break the silence around baby death.
This year, more than 1,000 people became part of the growing Sands remembrance and fundraising community when they wore a ribbon for the first time.
A lifeline for generations to come
Gifts in Wills help make sure more families get to take their baby home. And they help ensure bereaved families have somewhere to turn right from the start, and for as long as they need Sands by their side. This year, two campaigns sharing our free Will writing service inspired 70 supporters to leave a gift in their Will to Sands. Every single one will be a lifeline for babies yet to be born and for bereaved families – an incredible legacy to leave.
Finance focus: The highlights
Text
Looking ahead
This report shows what we’ve achieved together over the past year and the strong foundation we’ve built to keep improving care for bereaved parents and families and driving change. And I’m immensely proud of how the Sands community comes together in so many different ways.
We will continue to build an inclusive and connected community over the next five years as we prepare to embark on our new five-year strategy. We have taken all that you’ve told us about your ambitions for Sands and put them at the heart. And I can’t wait to share this with you in early 2026.
Because despite having achieved so much, we can see how much more there is to do. And we will continue leading, collaborating and challenging to ensure that more babies’ lives are saved and everyone receives the care and support that they need and deserve after pregnancy loss or the death of a baby.
We will focus on driving improvements in maternity and neonatal safety and ensure that bereaved parents are listened to so that their voices are truly heard and central to the changes needed. Crucially, we will also work to ensure that key research is implemented and used to inform policy and safer practice.
Alongside improvements in safety, we want to see all parents and families receiving compassionate bereavement care wherever they are. We will roll out updated training to healthcare professionals. And, as well as embedding the National Bereavement Care Pathway across the UK, we’ll extend our reach so that those working in community settings and workplaces have the tools they need to get it right.
We know that how people want to access support is changing. And as we look to the future, we’re keen to better understand what our Sands community wants and needs so everyone can access support that’s right for them. And importantly, so those who don’t yet know about Sands, but have been touched by pregnancy and baby loss, know we’re here for them too.
We have so many wonderful volunteers and supporters who give their time and energy to Sands. And we’re incredibly lucky that many people from all walks of life want to be part of what we do. We must make sure we offer ways for them to do so, reflecting and understanding how people want to get involved, offering choice and flexibility.
We can’t do any of this without you – every person in our Sands community contributes and connects us; let’s speak up about baby loss and save babies’ lives.
Clea Harmer
Chief Executive, Sands
Thank You
We're doing all we can to bring about the day when no baby dies. But we can't do it alone.
That's why we collaborate with parents, professionals, researchers, donors, fundraisers, campaigners, government departments, parliamentarians, Royal Colleges and other organisations to create the change that's needed. And until that day comes, we rely on you to help make sure the right care and support is there for every bereaved family, whenever, wherever and however they need it.
So thank you. Thank you for everything you have helped make possible so far. And for all you might do for parents, families and babies in the future.
Abbott Risk Consulting Ltd
AlRayan Bank
Aspect Capital
Balfour Beatty
Bounty Competitions
Brewsterwells Crematorium
Bupa Foundation
Cambridge Management Consulting
Carlisle Crematorium, Cumberland Council
CFC
Chilterns & Bierton Crematoria
Clean Power Hydrogen Group Ltd
Cogapp Ltd
Corin
Department for Health and Social Care
De Vere Tortworth Court
Enterprise Mobility
Financial Ombudsman Service
Foreman Homes Ltd
Fortinet
Holroyd Howe
HSBC UK
Insight UK
Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM)
K&G McAtamney Butchery & Deli Limited
Lightfoots Solicitors
LendInvest Plc
London Borough of Lewisham
Masonic Charitable Foundation
Metro Rod
Miller Homes East Midlands
Miniclip
Navigator MSL Ltd
NEXT
Orama
Persimmon Homes Severn Valley
P F Charitable Trust
Pilgrim’s Europe Public Health Agency Northern Ireland
Redbrik Estate Agents
Samworth Charitable Trust
Scottish Government
Sea Meadow Trust
Seasalt Cornwall
ShareGift
Softcat PLC
Taylor & Boyd LLP
TCS Biosciences Ltd
Teddy’s Wish
Tendring District Council
The Big Give
The Dental Hub
The Reed Foundation
The Stewarts Foundation
three rocks Ltd
Wates
Wates Foundation
Welsh Government
Wesleyan
XL Associates
Yardi Systems Ltd
Together,
We Are Sands
Support us and make an impact.
If you’d like to support our work to save babies’ lives and support bereaved families, you can:
If you need our support:
Sands. Charity Registered in Scotland SC042789, England and Wales 299679. We also operate in Northern Ireland. Company Limited by Guarantee Number: 2212082. Registered Address: 10–18 Union Street, London, SE1 1SZ.
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