Sands volunteer, Raj Chagger, has been recognised with multiple awards for his volunteering with Sands this year.

Raj has won multiple awards this year for his volunteering as Manager of Sands United FC Nottingham, a team he set up in January 2023 in memory of his son Riaan.

His commitment and passion have been celebrated with a Sands Volunteer Award for Leadership, a Forty Under 40 Wellbeing Award, and a Celebrating Rushcliffe Health and Wellbeing Project of the Year Award.

Raj was nominated for his Sands Volunteer Award for Leadership by his teammates and peers for being ‘an inspiring leader of Sands United FC Nottingham’.

Team mates described Raj as a role model and said because of him, they no longer have to experience their grief alone.

This award was really special for me. Winning the award was one thing, but the fact that it was members of my team that took the time out to nominate me, that is the real award.

The most important part of my role as manager of Sands United FC Nottingham is about supporting and guiding my guys through the most difficult moments of their lives.

Raj Chagger, Sands United FC Nottingham Manager

Raj was presented with an engraved trophy and signed certificate by Sands CEO, Clea Harmer at the Sands Garden Day at the National Memorial Arboretum in June.

A few months later, Raj collected his second award, the Forty Under 40 Award for Wellbeing.  

The Forty Under 40 Award is curated to identify, honour and celebrate the nation’s most influential and accomplished young leaders under the age forty.

Raj took this award as an opportunity to raise awareness of pregnancy and baby loss.

Awards like the Forty Under 40 create an opportunity to share the dilemmas that we as bereaved parents face, in the hope that we can clear up that uncertainty and provide that education so that others feel more comfortable in engaging in the conversation. 

That is how we raise awareness. There are so many layers to grief when it comes to baby loss, and we need to know that we can share them.

Raj Chagger, Sands United FC Nottingham Manager

Raj’s final award of 2024, the Celebrating Rushcliffe Health and Wellbeing Project of the Year was voted for by residents and groups in Rushcliffe.

We have been very fortunate in the sense that, right from when I first started the team, the support from the local community has been amazing.

So, to be recognised amongst this same community is truly heartwarming and it means that the work we do is being acknowledged and that people see the benefits.”

The thing that I am most proud of with this one, is that we were nominated in the ‘Health and Wellbeing’ category, and not in the ‘Sports’ category.

I keep driving home our values of being a support group first, and a football team second, and this is being recognised.

Raj Chagger, Sands United FC Nottingham Manager

I can honestly say that forming and managing the Sands United FC Nottingham team has been one of my proudest accomplishments.  

Since my baby boy, Riaan, passed away, I have done a lot of work in the baby loss area, but I have been able to see the results of my efforts directly with this team.

To see how far we have come as a team and as individuals in such a short amount of time is amazing.

The bonds we have formed, the closeness, the togetherness, the family that we have created is built on underlying grief but, more importantly, it is built on never ending love.

Raj Chagger, Sands United FC Nottingham Manager

Thank you so much to Raj, and all of our Sands volunteers for their dedication to supporting bereaved families in 2024.

To find out more about Sands United, visit our Sands United webpage.

You can also find out more about other volunteering opportunities on our Volunteer with Sands webpage.