Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity was founded in 1978.It was set up by a small group of bereaved parents devastated by the death of their babies and in particular by what they felt at the time was a complete lack of acknowledgement and understanding of the significance and impact of their loss. Incredibly in the UK today, in spite of medical advances, many parents continue to have their lives turned upside down by the death of their baby. 17 babies a day are stillborn or die within the first twenty eight days of life. At Sands our mission is to:

• support anyone affected by the death of a baby; 

• work with health professionals to improve the quality of care and services provided to bereaved parents and their families; 

• promote changes in antenatal practice and fund research that could help to reduce the loss of babies' lives.