Farnborough Sands

Here to help

We are here for anyone affected by the death of a baby no matter how long ago or how recent that loss. Anyone affected by the loss of a baby is welcome, whether it be a 2nd trimester loss, a stillbirth, those who lost through neonatal death, and those who have had to interrupt a pregnancy due to abnormality. Whatever brings you here, we are glad that you found us.

The support we offer

We can all benefit from a little support from time to time. Loosing a child can be very different from other types of losses that you may have experienced, and often it can feel incredibly isolating. You may be surrounded by many people who care and want to help you during difficult times, but while they may empathise with what you're going through, it is very difficult for anyone to truly understand what its like to lose a child, unless you are a bereaved parent yourself. This is where the national Sands charity, and the local Sands support groups can help.

We are able to offer email, telephone and group meeting support through our local in-group 'befrienders', who are trained and approved by the national Sands organisation. We can direct you to sources of information, try to help you with questions, and of course we can simply listen when you need us to.

Support Meetings

We hold monthly group meetings, which offer an informal and welcoming way to meet and hear from others who have suffered loss. In this relaxed atmosphere, we can talk, share our experiences, or just listen and be with others who understand. While every loss is unique, we believe that meeting other people affected by the loss of a child can help. You are welcome to join us.
For details of this months Evening Support Meeting please email support.farnborough@sandsvolunteer.org.uk

Telephone and Email Support

We are here to listen, and whether you prefer to talk on the phone, or to write things down in emails or texts, we can offer someone for you to connect with, someone who won't offer judgement, and someone who has an understanding of what you might be going through. Our befrienders are all bereaved parents themselves, and while they are volunteers, they will do all they can to be available and responsive to you when you need someone to connect with.
We ask people wanting to speak on the phone to initially contact us by email, and someone will come back to you as quickly as possible. If you'd like to speak to someone more immediately, then the national Sands Helpline is available, and you can find details of how to contact them here.

Events and our Memorial Garden

The Farnborough Sands group organise events during the year to offer an opportunity for remembrance and to come together with others who have lost. Events change each year, and details can be found on our News section or by emailing us at farnborough@sands.org.uk. We are also lucky to have our Memorial Garden at Aldershot crematorium. Designed and created by one of our members, it provides a beautiful location to remember our babies and sit in peaceful reflection. More details of our garden can be found in our News section here. A link to more information can be found here.

How you can contact us

Please fill in the 'Contact Us' form that you can find at this link - Click Here
Alternatively, you can email us directly using support.farnborough@sandsvolunteer.org.uk