Sands Manawatu-Horowhenua

11/06/2026

We are so pleased Sands New Zealand can offer this space for whānau experiencing pregnancy after loss. PAL is a whirlwind of emotions and can be an incredibly scary time for expecting parents after loss. If you'd like to join this space follow the instructions to email our Sands secretary below ✨️❤️‍🩹

Kia ora koutou, you've asked, and we've heard. We are delighted to announce that we will be commencing Pregnancy After Loss online support meetings this month. We extend our immense gratitude to Vicki Culling of Vicki Culling Associates and Sands Wellington for facilitating these.

The meetings will occur on the third Wednesday evening of each month at 7:30pm-9pm. The first meeting will occur on Wed 17th June.

This is a supportive space to kōrero, offering support to those parents who have experienced loss and are pregnant, or their partner is pregnant. Also for those who have had their baby very recently (3-4 months) and are experiencing parenting after loss.

If you would like to join us, please email our Sands NZ Secretary at [email protected] for details. Please note, to register you will need to provide your contact phone number and location in NZ.

We know experiencing pregnancy after loss can be challenging, so this is a space to talk about your feelings and how you are doing.

09/06/2026

Kia ora koutou, tomorrow night at 8pm we have our monthly online Empty Arms support group. This is to support bereaved whānau who have no living children. If you would like to join, please email Tania at [email protected] for further information 💜🧡

17/05/2026

What an absolutely incredible weekend at the Women's Lifestyle Expos NZ Palmerston North!

We are feeling so incredibly grateful and humbled after spending Saturday and Sunday connecting with so many beautiful mamas, families, and long-time supporters.

Seeing so many of you stop by to say hello and look for your precious babies' names on our beautiful footprint display means the world to us. It is an honor to carry their names with us every year.

🎉 Raffle Winner Announcement! 🎉

A huge thank you to everyone who purchased a ticket for our "family games night pack" raffle to support our mahi. We are thrilled to announce our winner:

Ticket Number: 65
Winner: Zoe 🥳

This weekend wouldn't have been possible without some very special people:

Again a massive thank you to Gardenview Funeral Services and Phil Cottle for your incredibly generous donation that secured our space at the expo.

Thank you to The Warehouse for gifting us the awesome prizes for our raffle.

And finally, to everyone who stopped by, donated, bought a ticket, or shared a story—thank you for your kindness and ongoing support of Sands Manawatu-Horowhenua.

15/05/2026

We are all set up and ready to go for the Woman's Expo Palmerston North this Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th✨️❤️

If you're looking for something pretty cool to do this weekend, the Woman's Expo is certainly a great day out with so much to see and loads of really awesome products to treat yourself with-and you so deserve it! 💕

If you're coming along be sure to look out for the team at Sands Manawatu-Horowhenua, stop by and say hello and as usual we have your beautiful footprints on display. We get so many people come through looking for their babies names from previous years and we also get more names added every year.

This year we have a really cool "family games night pack" raffle on offer at $2 per ticket. A massive thank you to The Warehouse Palmerston North for gifting this awesome pack to support our very special mahi.

Our Sands Manawatu-Horowhenua team would also like to say a very heartfelt thank you to Gardenview Funeral Services for securing us a space at Woman's Expo this year, we are deeply grateful to Phil Cottle and his team for donating us the funds to get us to the expo and see all the beautiful mamas and families over the next two days. Thank you so much! 🥰

11/05/2026

Thank you to everyone who entered our competition to win a double pass to the women’s expo congratulations to our winner Bexz Larrington🎉
We have sent you a message

10/05/2026

Ngā mihi me te aroha nui mō te Rā o Māmā.
Happy Mother’s Day to those who carry their child/children in their hearts rather than their arms.
Thinking of all these special Mum’s today 💜🧡

02/05/2026

The first Sunday in May each year is International Bereaved Mothers Day, with Mother's day following a week later on the second Sunday of May.

The team at Sands Manawatu-Horowhenua want to wish you a gentle Bereaved Mothers Day 2026 ❤️‍🩹 Today is for the mothers who carry children in their hearts instead of their arms. We see you, we feel you, we know the immense pain that this feels like. You are not alone 🫂 we are always here for anyone struggling.
Please feel free to post your beautiful angels names under this post, they will never be forgotten and will always be a part of our families. So loved little ones ❤️

A little life, not a little loss ✨️💖

26/04/2026

Join us at the women’s lifestyle expo on May 16 - 17 at Fly Palmy Arena, Palmerston North!
We have a double pass to give away to the expo!
To enter, simply like this post and tag who you would bring along!
Winner will be announced Monday 11th of May!

25/04/2026

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

Every day, we acknowledge those whose children have died too soon.

On Anzac Day, we also acknowledge the whānau who have lost their children too soon to war.

We know the heartbreak of losing a child, and we will remember and honour them.

Lest we forget.

14/04/2026

Today is an important step forward for our baby loss whānau across Aotearoa 🧡💜

Tuituia te Kahu / National Bereavement Care Pathway for Perinal Loss Report has been officially published by Te Whatu Ora/ Health NZ. Sands NZ has been involved in the Technical Advisory Group that put this report together, including Vicki Culling as a Co-Chair and Melanie Tarrant as a member.

Tuituia te Kahu sets a clear national direction for compassionate, culturally safe and consistent bereavement care.

Sands NZ welcomes this report and its focus on creating clearer, more compassionate, and better‑supported pathways for those navigating this heart breaking journey. Every recommendation reflects what so many parents have told us for years: that their grief deserves recognition, their voices deserve to be heard, and their care should never depend on where they live.

A link to the report can be found in the comments.