Right now, COVID-19 is having a devastating impact on both bereaved parents and NHS staff and we know that the demand for Sands’ services will rise as this national crisis continues. Funding from the Coronavirus Community Support Fund, distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund, is helping us to continue to support bereaved parents and healthcare professionals over the next six months. 

The funding is helping Sands as we:

• Develop and equip NHS staff with the skills, latest information and confidence to support bereaved families when the worst happens; and very importantly to provide support to staff themselves 
• Promote safer pregnancy messaging for pregnant women during these uncertain times to help save babies’ lives 
• Challenge the policies and procedures that place babies’ lives or the wellbeing of bereaved parents at risk, and campaign for change

This funding is enabling Sands to continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and offer dynamic new solutions to ensure that we continue to save babies’ lives. The grant will be used to further develop our accredited healthcare professional training, safer pregnancy messaging and campaigning work, ensuring bereaved parents get immediate acute support at the point of need and ensuring that perinatal risk factors are widely and thoroughly understood. This funding will help transform and safeguard our services.

- Kate Mulley, Director of Research, Education and Policy.   

Thanks to the Government and The National Lottery Community Fund for making this possible.