Leicestershire & Rutland Sands

Leicestershire & Rutland Sands At Leicester Leicestershire & Rutland Sands, we support parents who have lost a baby during pregnancy, at birth, or shortly after.

You’re not alone - we’re here to listen, to understand, and to walk with you through your grief. The support we offer can currently be accessed via telephone and email, and through online support meetings and events with other bereaved families. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We are here to listen and offer our support. To find out about our online support, please contact [email protected]

15/06/2026

We need your help. Sadly, the latest data shows Wales has had the worse stillbirth rate across the UK for the third year in a row. At the same time, the Welsh Government has still not backed our call for targets to save babies’ lives.

Targets to reduce stillbirths and neonatal deaths will help ensure that saving babies’ lives becomes the political priority it should be. Email your new MSs for targets to save babies’ lives – see link in the comments below for details.

Clea Harmer, Sands’ Chief Executive, said: "The latest data from MBRRACE-UK show a stark reality. That over the past three years the stillbirth rate in Wales has been the worst in the UK. There has now been little progress in saving babies’ lives in Wales since 2018. We continue to see persistent inequalities resulting in worsening outcomes, and only one in twenty parents impacted by baby loss able to access vital mental health support.

"Bereaved families working with Sands are demanding urgent action. The new Welsh Government must set clear, measurable targets to cut stillbirths and neonatal deaths. Without accountability and investment more families will face the devastating outcome of not being able to take their baby home."

Can you help us raise this with the Welsh Government by emailing your newly elected MSs? We've created a simple email template to help you – see link in the comments below.

We are here to support anyone affected by the loss of a baby. Every 3rd Monday of the month. Hallam Fields Community Hal...
15/06/2026

We are here to support anyone affected by the loss of a baby. Every 3rd Monday of the month.
Hallam Fields Community Hall in Birstall. Please like and share our post so, that we may be able to help and support as many people as possible🥰

15/06/2026

Do you know the true scale of baby loss? Every day in the UK, 13 babies die shortly before, during or soon after birth. That’s more than 4,000 babies a year that bereaved parents and families didn’t get to bring home.

We know that the true scale of baby loss is much bigger than this because there are many more families affected by other types of pregnancy and baby loss and TFMR (Termination for Medical Reasons) for which there is no comprehensive publicly available data across the UK.

Sadly, many families don’t know where to turn to for support when they experience a pregnancy or baby loss and this is why it is so important to raise awareness.

We are Sands, the UK’s leading pregnancy and baby loss charity, and we are working to save babies’ lives and ensure that bereaved parents and families receive the care and support they need.

Learn more. Link in the comments below 👇

15/06/2026

Beautifully worded x Thank you for sharing🥰🥰

14/06/2026

Our next game is a special one 🧡💙

Next Sunday, 21st June, is Fathers Day and the club's 6th birthday and we will face our brothers from Sands United Derby.

Every single baby that has been remembered as a part of SUFC Ashby over the years will be a part of the game as we play on this special day ⚽️😇

13/06/2026

Last Year, Tom and Glen did something amazing, and took part in our Golf for Sands challenge, this year we challenge you!

"16 hours and 48000 steps later and we did it 72 holes of golf completed with £485 raised for Sands." 👏

GOLFERS NEEDED! Take on 36 or 72 holes in a single day to raise money for Sands. Whether you’re a seasoned golfer or just love a challenge, every swing helps to save babies' lives and ensure no bereaved parent faces their grief alone 💜🧡

Your Golfers to do list:
- Choose 36 holes or 72 holes.
- Pick your course.
- Gather your team (or go solo!)
- Fundraise to support Sands.

Join the Sands Golfing Challenge today. Link in comments 👇

11/06/2026

Did you have a baby in February 2026? Please complete the Maternity Survey and tell us about your experiences of maternity care. You should have received your invitation in the post or by SMS.

For further information: www.cqc.org.uk/news/tell-us-what-maternity-care-you-2026

11/06/2026

Figures released today show that progress to reduce stillbirths and neonatal deaths has stalled in the UK.

The data from MBRRACE-UK for 2024 show rates fell slightly from the previous year, but the combined rate of stillbirths (babies dying before or during birth, from 24 weeks of pregnancy) and neonatally (dying in the first 28 days after birth,) but progress to reduce it has stalled.

Georgia Stevenson, Head of the Sands and Tommy’s Joint Policy Unit, said “Although these figures show stillbirth and neonatal mortality rates fell slightly across the UK as a whole in 2024 compared with the previous year, progress is too slow.

“There are also persistent and in some cases growing inequalities between people in different ethnic, social and regional groups.
“Black babies are still more than twice as likely as White babies to be stillborn, and babies of Asian Pakistani, Asian Bangladeshi and Black ethnicity are more likely to be born to mothers living in the most deprived areas of the UK.”

Last month, with bereaved parents Sands handed a letter with over 3,000 signatures to Downing Street, calling for an end to inequalities in baby loss. We’re calling on governments across the UK to adopt targets to save babies’ lives and eliminate inequalities in baby loss.

Georgia added: “Today’s MBRRACE-UK report shows stillbirth rates increased in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales in 2024. Although figures in these three countries can vary from year to year because of the small populations involved, the three-year rolling average for 2022-2024 shows for the first time that Wales had the highest rate of stillbirths and neonatal deaths of all four UK devolved nations.

“This year can and should be a pivotal moment for maternity and neonatal care in the UK. A major assessment of services has been completed in Wales, an investigation is about to report in England and another is under consideration in Scotland.

“Governments across the UK must set new ambitions to save more babies’ lives and put into place effective plans to make sure those ambitions are achieved.”

Sands is calling on the Welsh Government to implement clear targets to reduce stillbirths and neonatal deaths and prioritise making maternity care safer – see the link in the comments for more information.

➡️ Find out more - link in the comments below.

11/06/2026

Right now, millions of families are coming together to watch the World Cup, but every day in the UK 13 babies die shortly before, during or soon after birth. That’s 13 families every day experiencing the heartbreak of never being able to bring their baby home to enjoy a family moment together like this.

And that’s before we think about the thousands of families experiencing other types of pregnancy and baby loss and TFMR (Termination for Medical Reasons) for which there is no comprehensive publicly available data across the UK.

But where do they turn to for support?

We are the UK’s leading pregnancy and baby loss charity. We are working to save babies’ lives and ensure that every parent and every family receive the care and support they need when the worst does happen.

Learn more via the link in the comments below 👇

10/06/2026

Our Monthly Meeting Is The Monday The 15th June
7.15-8.45pm

☕️🍪

Address

Leicester

Telephone

+448081643332

Website

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