History of Glasgow SANDS

1981/82 GLASGOW SANDS STARTED AROUND THIS TIME, AND AT FIRST BEREAVED PARENTS MET IN EACH OTHERS HOMES.

I983 THE GROUP STARTED TO HOLD MEETINGS WITHIN GLASGOW ROYAL MATERNITY HOSPITAL (ALSO KNOWN AS THE ROTTENROW).

AS SANDS WAS A NEW GROUP HEALTH PROFESSIONALS WERE A BIT SCEPTICAL AND ONLY A FEW MIDWIVES SHOWED SUPPORT TO THEM BY GIVING INFORMATION ABOUT THE GROUP TO NEWLY BEREAVED PARENTS.

1983 ESTHER RANTZEN MADE A PROGRAMME WHICH WAS SHOWN ON BBC ABOUT LONG AGO BEREAVED PARENTS WHO WERE TRYING TO FIND OUT WHERE THEIR BABIES WERE INTERRED. THIS BROUGHT SANDS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE PUBLIC AND HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. MOST SANDS GROUPS INCLUDING GLASGOW WERE ASKED TO ASSIST IN ANSWERING TELEPHONE HELP LINES AT THE END OF THE PROGRAMME.

AS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE CAME ALONG TO THE MEETING IN THE ROTTENROW, IT BECAME CLEAR MORE MEETINGS WERE REQUIRED FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVED FURTHER AWAY, SO MEETINGS WERE HELD IN THE SOUTHERN GENERAL HOSPITAL.

1992 PROVED YET AGAIN THERE WAS A NEED FOR MEETINGS IN OTHER PLACES TILL EVENTUALLY WE HELD MEETINGS IN RUTHERGLEN MATERNITY, QUEEN MOTHERS, ROYAL ALEXANDRA PAISLEY, AND BELLSHILL MATERNITY.

1994 GLASGOW SANDS ALSO BECAME INVOLVED IN SETTING UP GROUPS IN FALKIRK, STIRLING AND CAMPBELLTOWN.

WE PROVIDE LEAFLETS (FREE OF CHARGE) TO ALL HOSPITALS, HEALTH CENTRES, AND ANY GROUP INTERESTED IN THE WORK OF SANDS.

WE HAVE MADE MANY DONATIONS TO THE VARIOUS HOSPITALS WE ARE INVOLVED WITH. SUCH AS REMEMBRANCE BOOKS, CARD MOUNTS FOR PHOTOGRAPHS, CAMERAS, MOSES BASKETS AND BABY CLOTHES.

WE HAVE ALSO DONATED FURNITURE, TV, CROCKERY ETC FOR BEREAVEMENT ROOMS.

WE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO SPEAK AT MANY SEMINARS ON BEREAVEMENT WHICH ARE ORGANISED BY HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND ALSO SOME BY FUNERAL DIRECTORS.,

WE ARE REQUESTED ON A REGULAR BASIS TO SPEAK TO TRAINEE MIDWIVES ATTENDING MIDWIFERY COURSES AT VARIOUS COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITY’S.

DURING THE ORGAN RETENTION SCANDEL WE, ALONG WITH MANY OTHER GROUPS WHO WERE AFFECTED BY THIS, WERE INVITED TO GIVE ACCOUNT OF OUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

THE SCOTTISH OFFICE REQUESTED A MEMBER OF GLASGOW SANDS TO SIT ON THE PANEL LOOKING AT THE BEST WAY OF PROVIDING INFORMATION TO PARENTS ON POST MORTUM, AND TO PROVIDE ADVICE ON THE WORDING OF SUCH LEAFLETS.

WE WERE ALSO INVOLVED IN GIVING EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE NON CLOSURE OF QUEEN MOTHERS HOSPITAL.

1992 WE HELD OUR FIRST SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE WHICH HAS BECOME AN BI ANNUAL EVENT.

1994 WITH THE HELP OF THE BEECHGROVE GARDEN WE CREATED THE FIRST OF MANY GARDENS OF REMEMBRANCE IN GLASGOW, THIS FIRST ONE BEING AT LINN CEMETERY.

2005 WE HELD OUR FIRST BALLOON RELEASE WHEN WE RELEASED THE SAME NUMBER OF BALLOONS WHICH REPRESENTED THE NUMBER OF BABIES WHO HAD DIED IN THE YEAR OF THE MOST UP TO DATE STATISTICS FROM THE REGISTRAR GENERAL IN SCOTLAND.

THIS HAS NOW BECOME AN ANNUAL EVENT CO FUNDED BY OURSELVES AND AYRSHIRE SANDS

WE HAVE VERY STRONG LINKS WITH THE HOSPITALS AND HAVE GREAT SUPPORT FROM HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IN ALL ASPECTS OF CARE FOR BEREAVED PARENTS. OUR HEALTH PROFESSIONAL ’FRIENDS’ ARE SO HELPFUL WITH REGARD TO OUR BI ANNUAL SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE. .