Residents may be interested to know of an organisation called Sands United FC which offers support for Dads and other bereaved family members through sport.
I am enclosing an email which I have received from Shareef, one of the Managers at Sands United FC, who is keen for news of the organisation to be shared. Further information can be viewed at: https://www.sands.org.uk/get-involved/sands-united-fc
From: Shareef Mani
Sent: 15 June 2021 23:11
To: Hale, Lynne <[email protected]>
Subject: Support
Hi Cllr Lynne,
I hope this finds you in good health.
My name is Shareef and I am one of the Managers at Sands United FC London. We are a newly regional formulated vets charity team for bereaved fathers who have endured the pain of stillbirth, miscarriage and neonatal death whether before, during or shortly after birth. Providing support to the men and fathers is paramount first and foremost followed by engaging in a shared love of sport.
Sands United is a unique way for dads and any men touched by the death of a baby such as family or friends to come together through a shared love of sport and find a support network where they can feel at ease talking about their grief when they’re ready. The team also commemorate their babies’ all too brief lives by proudly displaying their names on the kit worn for every match. There are currently over 20 clubs up and down the country and London is one of the newer teams that we would love your support on.
We now have 25 men based in and around London who are actively involved and that number is constantly growing as more and more people experience child loss and inevitably find their way to the charity Sands which is set up to help bereaved families. It is a sad fact that 1 in 4 families never get to bring their babies home either through miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death and we want to be there to support these Men and sport is a lovely way to connect with other people who have this shared experience so we can support each other.
We are very proud of our achievements from where we started to where we now are and the hard work of a lot of people connected with the club has also led to on-field success. The wider Sands United community featured in a landmark documentary titled, ‘Football, Prince William and Our Mental Health on BBC One’ which was presented by Prince William, HRH.
We have a big social media presence via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can find us at the below pages:
Facebook: SandsUtdLondon
Twitter: LondonSufc
Instagram: SufcLondon
I was wondering whether perhaps you could put out a message to help spread awareness to the wider community. Men and fathers do not need to suffer alone anymore - we’re breaking the silence.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Kind regards,
Shareef.
