Spotlight on Sands 2018 How are you? #FindingTheWords: Sands Awareness Month campaign 18 Meet our inspiring fundraisers 22 Commemorating 40 years of Sands 8 Contents Contents Credit: Chris Heale The Sands bereavement support app Commemorating 27 40 years of Sands 8 Saving babies’ lives through research #FindingTheWords: 14 our awareness- Updates from raising campaign across the UK 18 16 Welcome 4 #FindingTheWords: The year ahead 5 Sands Awareness Month campaign 18 News 6 Fundraising for Sands 20 Upcoming events 21 Inspiring Commemorating 40 years of Sands 8 Inspiring fundraisers 22 The history of Sands 10 Other ways to support Sands 25 fundraisers Working with professionals Stories and poems to improve bereavement care 12 Support for anyone affected by the death of a baby 26 28 Success via the National Bereavement Care Pathway 13 22 Supporting non-medical professionals 27 The latest in research and prevention 14 Sands bereavement support app 27 Updates from across the networks 16 Stories and poems 28 Art as therapy with a Sands befriender 17 Contact Support for you Feedback General enquiries Make a donation t: 0808 164 3332 We’d love to hear your comments Stay up to date t: 020 7436 7940 sands.org.uk/donate e: [email protected] surveymonkey.co.uk/r/spotlightonsands e: [email protected] Get involved w: sands.org.uk with our e-news Fundraising sands.org.uk/ Sands online community Follow us on social media t: 020 3897 6092 get-involved www.sands.community Get regular information about our work and e: [email protected] Sands bereavement support app recent news at sands.org.uk/newsletter sands.org.uk/app 2 I Spotlight on Sands Spotlight on Sands I 3 Welcome Welcome Dear Friends The year ahead Key dates for your diary Welcome to the new edition of Spotlight on Sands 2018 2019 In this issue we will be sharing with you some of the amazing work that is being done by all the wonderful people involved with Sands 1–30 June in so many different ways. Sands Awareness Month We have been taking positive steps to break the taboo With help and input from many of you, we have put In the UK, 15 babies die before, during or shortly surrounding baby loss with our #FindingTheWords together the virtual 40th anniversary timeline, and after birth every day. Every June, we work hard to campaign (p.18) which we ran throughout June, the breadth and scope of what has been achieved is a raise awareness of issues relating to stillbirth and focussing particularly on helping employers, family and testament to the wonderful work of all those who have neonatal death. friends to talk to bereaved parents about their babies. been involved in Sands over the years. 17 November sands.org.uk/sandsawarenessmonth Sands’ 40th Anniversary Conference, Glasgow We have also continued to find new ways to reach as As well as celebrating how much has been achieved, many bereaved parents and healthcare professionals as it has also been a good moment to look forward and Aimed at trustees, members, staff, volunteers, 15 June possible, working to expand the reach of the National acknowledge that there is still more to do. By working befrienders, bereaved parents, supporters and donors, Sands Garden Day Bereavement Care Pathway (p.13) and launching our together I know we will continue to reduce the number the conference seeks to provide an opportunity for the and Remembrance new bereavement support app (p.26) that provides of babies dying, and to improve the care and support whole organisation to come together, celebrate what information and guidance in a format that is quick and received by all those affected by the death of a baby. has been achieved by Sands over the last 40 years and Event, National easy to access. commit to what more needs to be done to make our Memorial Arboretum, I am immensely proud to be involved with such an vision a reality. Staffordshire Alongside these achievements, Sands freephone amazing organisation, and am enormously grateful to all helpline has been accredited by the Helplines of you for your incredible work and support – thank you! The theme for 2018 is Past, Present and Future, to reflect This annual event offers anyone affected by the death of Partnership (p.7), evidence of our commitment to the achievements of all those who have worked with us a baby the opportunity to meet with others in a peaceful providing a high quality helpline service to all those Dr Clea Harmer over the years to support anyone affected by the death setting. The service is followed by a short dedication in who need it. of a baby, improve bereavement care and fund research the Sands Garden. Chief Executive, Sands to reduce the number of babies dying. And of course this year we celebrate Sands’ 40th sands.org.uk/gardenday anniversary (p.8) – looking back and celebrating sands.org.uk/conference From left to right: All kinds of fundraising for how much has been achieved since Bel Mooney and Sands continued throughout our 40th year. Hazelanne Lewis founded the charity in 1978 after their A still from our #FindingTheWords animation. 9–15 October own experiences following the stillbirths of their babies. Hull Minster lit up to celebrate our anniversary. 7 December Baby Loss Credit: Chris Heale Lights of Love Awareness Week Our annual Lights of Love The annual awareness week is a collaboration services are held at venues between over 60 charities that provides an across the UK and are opportunity for bereaved parents, families and friends organised by our dedicated to commemorate babies’ lives and break the silence volunteers. The services are around pregnancy loss and baby death in the UK. family-friendly evenings of traditional carols, readings, babyloss-awareness.org and musical performances. sands.org.uk/lightsoflove Spotlight on Sands I 5 4 I Spotlight on Sands News News New bereavement support New parliamentary Act to app is launched help bereaved parents We are always looking to improve and expand We were pleased to hear that The Parental on the different ways we offer bereavement Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Act has now support to anyone affected by the death of a become law in UK Parliament. baby for as long as they need it. The Act will introduce a minimum of two weeks’ We have created a brand new mobile bereavement leave for employees whose baby or child has died. support app for parents, family and friends, partners, #BLAW18 campaign banner This will include parents whose baby is stillborn or grandparents and healthcare professionals where dies neonatally. they can access information at their convenience on Thousands of people came together to help break the We welcome the Act and the proposals to ensure their smartphone. silence around pregnancy and baby loss. Our most all parents, including those who experience a The idea to create an app was inspired by Nicole heartfelt thanks to those who got involved. We look stillbirth or neonatal death, have a right to at least Regan-White whose baby daughter Jessica was forward to seeing even more of you taking part in two weeks’ paid leave from work in addition to stillborn in 2013. #BLAW2019! their existing parental leave entitlement. Read more on page 27 babyloss-awareness.org Download from your app store Sands urges the government Sands helpline receives A still from our campaign animation to help pregnant women accreditation accolade Action across the UK during quit smoking Sands Awareness Baby Loss Awareness Week Our freephone helpline has been recognised Month sees launch of Sands and the Smoking in Pregnancy Challenge and awarded with an accreditation by the #FindingTheWords campaign In its 16th year, Baby Group have called for the government to take Helplines Partnership (HLP). Loss Awareness Week action to tackle the number of women who The helpline was assessed and was found to In June, we launched a campaign featuring 2018 saw more than 60 smoke during pregnancy. Such action has the show a duty of care to bereaved parents and their an animation showing a ‘day in the life’ of a charities collaborate to potential to prevent harm to hundreds of babies families, and to the staff who operate the service. bereaved parent and calling on everyone raise awareness of the key every year. The HLP found that our helpline was at the heart in society to help break the silence around issues affecting those who have experienced We are calling for action by the government to reduce of the services we provide and offers a recognised baby loss. pregnancy loss or baby death in the UK. the rates of women who smoke during pregnancy as standard of care and professionalism. We also urged employers to get in touch for advice, they are failing to meet their target. Pregnant women This year the coalition urged all NHS Trusts and We are delighted that the results of the assessment after a Sands survey revealed that parents struggling who smoke can visit our Safer Pregnancy website for Boards to adopt the National Bereavement Care show the helpline operates within a standard of to cope after the death of their baby are often let advice on quitting at: Pathway (NBCP), a partnership led by Sands between practice that bereaved parents, their families and down by their employer if they return to work. Only government, charities, and the NHS, that sets out saferpregnancy.org.uk anyone affected by the death of a baby can trust. one in five bereaved parents surveyed had been the standards for providing excellent care to anyone offered or provided with any bereavement support affected by pregnancy loss or the death of a baby.