Sands

Who we are

We’re creating a community of compassionate and lifesaving changemakers, whose voices inspire change and turn understanding into action.

Every day in the UK, 13 babies die shortly before, during or soon after birth. At least 1 in 6 of pregnancies end in miscarriage. Thousands of parents and families are experiencing the heartbreak of pregnancy and baby loss every year in the UK.

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.

For more than 40 years, Sands has provided a safe, understanding and caring community for anyone touched by pregnancy or baby loss. We can help, whether your loss happened recently or long ago.

Sands offers many types of support, including our free, confidential telephone helpline, email support, and online group sessions. We have a UK-wide network of local groups offering peer-support in the community, social media groups helping people connect wherever they are, and free resources for partners, siblings, grandparents, and wider family and friends.

Our culture and values

Sands works to give healthcare professionals, trusts and health boards with the training, tools and support they need to provide excellent bereavement care, to ensure that every bereaved parent and family receives the best possible care wherever they are in the UK.

Our accredited training is also available for a wider range of professionals, like those working in the community, such as police officers and teachers, whilst our Bereavement in the Workplace training means all managers and colleagues can feel confident to sensitively support a co-worker who has experienced pregnancy or baby loss.

Sands helps answer the most important research questions and acts on these findings. Listening to parents helps save lives and Sands puts bereaved parents' experiences at the heart of research. These experiences help academics and clinicians understand why babies die and how maternity care can be improved.

And, Sands works to keep pregnancy and baby loss at the top of the political agenda across the UK. Through campaigns, we amplify the voices of bereaved parents. By gaining the support and understanding of politicians, ministers and decision-makers, we can help them make better policies to improve maternity services and save babies’ lives.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

Sands is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer. We are committed to promoting equality, valuing diversity and working inclusively. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age or any other category protected by law.