There are a range of tasks that need doing to sustain the group, which don't involve giving up huge amounts of time. These include fundraising, helping out at awareness and fundraising events, updating the website and generally offering ideas to help the group raise its profile in the local area so that it can support more bereaved parents. A good way of getting involved is by attending one of our business meetings (see news and events).
Befriending
This is one of the key services offered by the local group to support parents. The befriending service provides trained volunteers who have lost babies in the past, who offer to listen to - and talk informally with - bereaved parents on the phone, by email or face to face. The service is run on a rotational basis, responding to phone calls received on the dedicated befriender mobile phone number for the local group - 07799 031645.
We have six trained befrienders in our group (two of whom are currently on maternity and paternity leave), but we need more. The more befrienders we have, the more people we can help and the lighter the load on individual volunteers.
National Sands runs two-day courses for befrienders around the country, although it recommends that volunteers have at least reached the first anniversary of their babies' death before registering for training.
As the service is run on a rotational basis between befrienders, it does not involve giving up significant amounts of time, although you must be committed to helping bereaved parents quickly. You should also be in the position to focus on someone else's loss rather than your own.
If you are interested in finding out more about befriending for Sands, please contact Julie Bailey, email julieh@freedom255.com
