Befriending

SANDS Befrienders play a vital role in offering support to bereaved families by attending support meetings and manning the telephone helpline.  The reassurance of talking to someone else who has been affected by the death of a baby is invaluable.

However, it is very important that anyone intending to take on the role of a Befriender is emotionally ready and has suitable support themselves.

In order to become a Befriender,  you will need to have attended and successfully completed a 2 day SANDS Befriender Training course which is run by UK Sands. This will be funded by Aberdeen Sands.

The criteria for becoming a Befriender are;

• At least one year should have elapsed since the death of your own baby.
• You are linked with your nearest local group.

Befriender Training Programme

The training consists of 2 courses: Part One and Part Two. The days are very interactive, with exercises carried out in pairs and small groups, as well as the group as a whole.

If you feel you are not ready to become a Befriender but are interested in helping Aberdeen SANDS in any other ways such as assisting with organising of events, making up memory boxes, knitting  etc please get in contact with us.

As we are all volunteers the more people we have involved the better support we can provide to families.