Sands has achieved much in the past year and this report is testament to the hard work and commitment of all our staff and volunteers, many of whom are bereaved parents themselves, and to the dedication of all our members and supporters without whom Sands simply would not exist.

Significantly during 2019 we saw a welcome fall in the UK’s stillbirth rate. This followed concerted efforts by Sands to support key policy, safety and research initiatives across the UK, working in partnership with Governments, the NHS and decision-makers. However, there is no room for complacency. The fact remains that 14 babies a day in the UK are stillborn or die within four weeks of birth. We must redouble our efforts if we are to halve the number of baby deaths by 2025.

At the end of the period covered by this report the COVID-19 outbreak had already begun to affect families across the UK and we had already seen an increase in demand for our bereavement support services.

Despite the immense challenges that were on the horizon as we entered 2020, Sands continues to do everything possible to save babies’ lives, and support anyone left shattered by the death of a baby.

Take a look at Sands Impact Report 2019/2020.