3 minute read
Sands Spring Update
From all at Sands, Happy New Year to you and your teams. In the last year Sands has achieved so much and this simply wouldn’t be possible without your ongoing support. We transformed our services in response to the challenges of Covid-19 to meet a sustained 30% increase in demand and our free Helpline continues to be here for families, health professionals and also you and your teams whenever you need.
Find out more about the difference you helped to make in our latest Impact Report.
Advertisement
If you would like support, please visit https://www.sands.org.uk/support-you.
Sands is a national charity. We deliver bereavement and wellbeing support, resources and training directly to your local communities and hospitals. We are thankful to each of you, as a member of the ICCM, who has supported Sands through the ICCM’s Metal Recycling Scheme. We would especially like to thank the following teams for their most recent donations:
• Carlisle Crematorium for donating £8,000.00 • Chanterlands Crematorium for donating £10,000.00 • Great Grimsby Crematorium for donating £10,000.00 • Havering Crematorium for donating £10,000.00 • Wrexham Crematorium for their amazing donation of £8,000.00 • Wolverhampton £10,000 • West Suffolk £5,000
Jen Coates, Director of Volunteering and Bereavement Support at Sands, said: “For over 40 years Sands has played a vital role in supporting families when the worst happens. Providing confidential and compassionate bereavement support to anyone impacted by the death of a baby, whenever they were bereaved, is one pillar that underpins our crucial work. Thank you to the teams across the ICCM network for your generosity. Together we can ensure everyone can seek Sands’ bereavement support without barriers.”
In the last nine months, phenomenal gifts from ICCM members has enabled Sands to deliver:
• 659 hours of support, accepting 1721 calls to our Helpline • Responses to 2298 emails seeking bereavement support. Our bereavement support app was downloaded 763 times. Our
GriefChat service was used by 482 people. Our forum welcomed 1078 new users where 16,296 messages were posted. Our newly formed Facebook support group grew to 602 members. • 1520 memory boxes to local hospitals, 5844 bereavement support books, 2193 hand and footprint kits and 6558 birth certificates and baby details books. • Covid-19 specific guidance, adapted to new restrictions and to offer guidance and reassurance. • Regional workshops attended by 128 NHS professionals from 75 different NHS trusts to offer training and support • Key messages directly to pregnant women to help them stay safe and healthy during pregnancy and address specific concerns relating to the pandemic.
Sands supports launch of Netflix film Pieces Of A Woman
Vanessa Kirby gives a powerful portrayal of a bereaved mother in Pieces Of A Woman that launched on Netflix this month. Sands supported Netflix and Vanessa Kirby ahead of the film's release to ensure that anyone affected by the issues portrayed in the story will be able to access support.
Trigger warning: Please be aware that the film contains scenes that could possibly be upsetting or triggering for anyone who has been affected by pregnancy loss or the death of a baby.
The movie centres around Martha and Sean, a couple from Boston in the US, on the verge of parenthood whose lives change irrevocably when a home birth ends in unimaginable tragedy. Thus begins a year long odyssey for Martha (Vanessa Kirby), who must navigate her grief while working through fractious relationships with her husband and her domineering mother (Ellen Burstyn), along with the publicly vilified midwife (Molly Parker), whom she must face in court.
Find out more about how we supported this landmark film: sands.org.uk/pieces-of-a-woman
If you would like to find out more about how your donation helps your community or if you would like to nominate Sands as the beneficiary for your crematorium’s Metal Recycling Scheme, please contact Victoria Luk. Our thanks again to you and your teams for all that you are doing. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with Sands if you require further information or support .
