In June 2020 Sands was delighted to be awarded a grant from The London Community Response Fund. This incredible gift supported us as we translated Sands’ Bereavement Support book – our comprehensive source of information for bereaved families available in print, online and via our Bereavement Support App – and delivered it in four prominent languages spoken across London; Punjabi, Urdu, Bengali and Portuguese.

Languages spoken in communities with Asian and African origins are most needed as they correlate with higher risk factors for stillbirth and neonatal death, such as socio-economic deprivation and reduced access to healthcare. Black and Asian babies born in the UK are up to two times more likely to die than white babies, there is no biological reason for this difference. The grant also funded translation services for parents, families and healthcare professionals contacting the Sands helpline seeking support.

This project has helped to ensure parents and healthcare professionals can access our expert bereavement support in their chosen language. Many parents can only communicate and participate in their care as equal partners via their first language, all bereaved parents should receive the same high standard of information and support when a baby dies.

“Sands is committed to supporting families from all backgrounds, reaching more people every day. Our Bereavement Support Book is now available in another four languages and we look to develop more in future, to make sure anyone whose first language is not English can receive guidance and support.”

– Maria, Sands Bereavement Support Manager

We are so grateful to The London Community Response Fund for their support as we continue to transform our services, ensuring they are accessible to all.

Our Bereavement Support Book is available to download in Punjabi, Urdu, Bengali and Portugese as well as simplified Chinese and Polish via our website https://www.sands.org.uk/sands-bereavement-support-book