Bereaved parents and their families in Plymouth and the locality are being invited to a new group that supports anyone affected by the death of a baby.

The new Plymouth group, which is part of Sands, will hold their first meeting on Wednesday 17 October.  

Our groups support parents whose baby has died before, during or shortly after birth and are run on a voluntary basis by parents who have themselves experienced the death of a baby.

Yvonne Fraser, Treasurer from Plymouth Sands, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer a Sands support group to bereaved families in Plymouth and the surrounding areas.

“We hope that our trained befrienders will be able to offer further support locally to anyone suffering from the loss of a baby. We welcome anyone to come along to our meetings and will do our very best to support them.”

Plymouth Sands has been working with local baby loss charity Little Things and the Snowdrop Appeal, which has to date raised £130,000 for a new bereavement suite at Derriford Hospital.

The Snowdrop Appeal was founded by Jen Phillips, Chair of Plymouth Sands, and her husband Greg. The funds are administered by Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust General Charity.

Our chief executive, Dr Clea Harmer, said: “We hope that the new Plymouth Sands group will be a source of support and great comfort to bereaved parents and their families at a devastating time for them.

“Many bereaved parents tell us that other parents who have experienced the death of a baby are able to offer real understanding and empathy. We are dedicated to providing emotional support and information after a baby dies for as long as it is needed.”

We are pleased to be growing and reaching out to more bereaved parents with new groups, in our 40th anniversary this year.

Plymouth Sands will hold their first monthly support meeting on Wednesday 17 October from 7pm-9pm at Room 3, Blindmans Wood Scout Centre, 324 Outland Road, Plymouth PL3 5TB. Bereaved parents are more than welcome to drop in for a cup of tea and a chat.

The group will continue to meet on the third Wednesday of each month throughout the year at the same location from 7pm-9pm.

To find out more email plymouth@sands.org.uk, call 07709 948191 or visit the group’s Facebook page