About Sands United
The first Sands United team grew from grief after Charlotte and Rob Allen’s baby daughter Niamh died on 9 October 2017 at 39 weeks and 3 days.
Rob’s love of football led to him organising a football match at Northampton Town FC in aid of Sands on 23 May 2018.
After the success of the match, the bereaved dads, uncles and brothers decided to form Sands United FC, in Northampton’s Nene Valley League.
Since forming in 2018, Sands United has grown to support hundreds of men across the UK through a love of sport and an environment where they can talk about their loss.
Sands United's journey:
- 2018 - The first Sands United team was created
- 2019 - Sands United grew to 8 teams across England supporting men who have experienced baby loss
- 2020 - Sands United grew further and saw the first teams in Northern Ireland and Wales begin to provide support
- 2021 - Sands United founder Rob Allen received a Special Recognition Award at the Pride of Britain Awards, for his work in founding Sands United in 2018
- 2022 - Sands United surpassed 30 teams across the UK supporting Sands and men through peer-to-peer bereavement support
- 2023 - Sands United collaborated with Lewis Capaldi to create a music video for his single, Pointless, which highlighted the story of Rob Allen and the impact of Sands United
- 2024 - Sands United has continued to grow and support bereaved men
Want to join us on our journey? Explore our Sands United page and find out how you can get involved.
If you have any questions, please visit our FAQ page. Or, you can contact us at sands.united@sands.org.uk