Housebuilder donates £1.5k to baby loss charity’s support network
For Baby Loss Awareness Week (09-15 October) local housebuilder, Barratt Developments South Wales, has donated £1,500 from its Community Fund to Sands — the UK’s leading pregnancy and baby loss charity supporting anyone affected by the death of a baby before, during or shortly after birth.
The charity works in partnership with healthcare organisations to offer a range of training programmes and bereavement care resources — ensuring that every bereaved parent and family receives the best possible care.
The donation will support Sands’ work in raising awareness of pregnancy or baby loss, namely through its Befriender scheme — made up of a network of volunteers who have experienced baby loss.
Ruth Mason, a Befriender who runs the Merthyr Tydfil Sands group, said: “I first discovered Sands in 2018, following the loss of two babies — but it took me a few months to muster the courage to attend my first meeting.
“From the moment I walked through the door, I felt a sense of comfort and relief to be in a room with people who understood what I was going through and made me feel normal for the first time in months.
“I decided to become a Befriender during the pandemic by reaching out and offering support virtually during that isolating time. In our first session there were only three of us, but the group has now grown to eleven — and there is a real sense of community, where everyone supports each other.”
The ‘Befrienders’ host support meetings, fundraising and awareness events across South Wales — as well as providing invaluable care and community for bereaved families, for as long as they need it.
Claire Roberts, a Befriender who runs the Cardiff Newport Sands group, said: “In 2005 when my daughter was stillborn, the online Sands community became a lifeline for me — but the closest Sands group was in Powys.
“However, through the Sands message boards, I made friends — and a few years later, we established Cardiff Newport Sands. This month, we’re celebrating 18 years of this incredible community we’ve built with a fundraising event.
“We hope that seeing the community we have created here in Cardiff and Newport will encourage others across Wales to consider becoming a Befriender — so that everyone who needs us can gain access to this amazing support.”
The Community Fund is a Barratt Developments initiative to give back to the communities it builds in — offering donations to charities and organisations just like Sands, working to improve the quality of life for those living in their area.
To apply for the Community Fund, please email: bdwswcommfund@barratthomes.co.uk or visit www.barrattdevelopments.co.uk/charity/barratt-and-dwh-community-fund for further information.
To secure tickets to Sands Cardiff Newport’s fundraising event in Cardiff on the 18th October, visit: sands.beaconforms.com/form/3946ef03
To donate to the Sands, please visit: www.sands.org.uk/get-involved/donate-sands
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Stock Image provided by Barratt Developments