Sands’ Board of Trustees is responsible for the governance of the charity - making sure that Sands is effectively and properly run - and setting our long-term aims.
Tom Burdett is our Treasurer and is also a member of Norfolk Sands. Tom and his family found tremendous comfort in the support they received from Sands after the death of their son Findlay in 2015.
We asked Tom about his personal journey with Sands, why he wanted to become a Sands Trustee, and his hopes for the future.
Hello Tom, please tell us a bit more about yourself.
I’m a Finance Director at Newsquest, a regional publishing group. If you haven’t heard of Newsquest, you will almost certainly have heard of some of our publications, which are across the country. I live in Norwich, and spend most of my time outside work running around after my children.
How did you first find out about Sands?
Like a lot of people, Sands wasn’t really on my radar until having children. Our first son Findlay was stillborn in 2015, and my first introduction to the charity was the memory box we were given at the hospital.
When did you begin to get involved in supporting our work?
Not too long after Findlay died, it felt right to do something in his memory. We organised a Sportsman’s Dinner to raise money and awareness for Sands, which was really well supported.
Why did you want to become a Trustee?
Sands was my first trustee role, but I had a lot of experience of working with charities (I was an auditor before becoming a Finance Director). The opportunity to use the skills and experience I had gained through work to help support Sands and the work it does was something which really appealed to me.
What do you find most inspiring about being on the Board?
The passion of the team is massively inspiring and shines through at the Board meetings. We see the Chief Executive and Directors, who are great leaders, but the way they talk about the work their teams are doing makes it very clear that the whole organisation is full of brilliant people who care hugely about what they do and the difference it makes.
How do you feel your experience, knowledge and skills make a difference to the work of the Board?
I’ve been both an auditor who worked with a lot of charities and then a Finance Director within a charity before I moved onto my current role. The role within a charity also coincided with COVID, and being a Theatre which was forced to close, that had a profound impact on the organisation.
I’m now in a much more commercial role, which brings different challenges. I think that mix of experiences and the understanding I’ve developed of charities and charity finance, make me well placed be the Treasurer for Sands.
What do you think makes Sands special and unique as a charity?
Because of the way the organisation works with bereaved parents, there is no-one else who across a broad range of contexts, can contribute with the same authenticity and credibility. It is that unique place in the world that makes Sands so vital in providing support to bereaved parents, but then also being able to use that experience and voice to move the needle in reducing baby loss.
If you had to describe Sands in three words what would they be?
Important, devoted, unique.
Is there a particular aspect of Sands’ work that most interests you?
I don’t actually think there is, what I find most fascinating about Sands is the way the different aspects of the work the charity does are interlinked. Each area could be seen as a standalone activity, but in so many cases they help to support other areas of the charity’s work.
If you had one wish for the future of Sands what would that be?
I was fortunate with the support I received when Findlay died, but there are still areas in the UK, and hospitals where Sands hasn’t been as successful in getting through. My one wish would be for Sands to be able to reach and support anyone, no matter what their background or where in the country they live.