We’re proud to share with you the strengthened Sands brand, created with the Sands community.
I’m Daniel Brett-Schneider, Director of Income and Engagement at Sands. It’s been an incredible privilege to lead our brand strengthening work over the past 18 months — a project that’s felt incredibly close to the heart of who we are at Sands.
Right from the start, we knew this wasn’t just about design or logos. It was about reflecting who we are as a community and doing that in a way that truly lives our values: being person-centred and evidence-led. That’s guided us at every step, from the earliest conversations and research, all the way through to today as we begin to share the renewed and strengthened Sands brand with the world.
It’s been more than a decade since we made any major changes to the brand, and in that time, a lot has changed - in the wider world and at Sands.
We’re reaching more people than ever before, and we’re breaking the silence around pregnancy and baby loss. We’ve been putting parent voices at the heart of research to better understand why babies are dying. Our training has connected us with thousands of healthcare professionals to help improve maternity safety and bereavement care. And together with our supporters, we’ve been campaigning to keep pregnancy and baby loss at the top of the political agenda right across the UK. But we know there’s still so much more to do to save babies’ lives and ensure every bereaved family gets the support they need. Too often we were hearing from people unsure if Sands was the right place for them. Not clear about who we are and what we do, and worried that their experience meant they didn’t fit or couldn’t get support.
And for all those who asked us questions, and we could welcome and reassure, we knew there were so many more people who we missed making that vital connection with.
We want anyone touched by pregnancy or baby loss to know that Sands is here for them. Always.
That’s why we needed to act, and today we’re sharing the story of how we created our strengthened brand.
Every voice matters
Over the course of 18 months, we’ve held workshops, run surveys, steering groups and worked with branding experts. We’ve heard from bereaved parents and families, healthcare professionals, policy makers, volunteers, researchers, fundraisers and supporters. We’ve spoken to people new to Sands, and people who helped found the charity in 1978.
We also made sure we heard from people impacted by pregnancy and baby loss, but who aren’t currently part of the Sands community. We needed to make sure we understood their needs, thoughts and feelings, so in the future we’re reaching those people too.
We had more than 10,000 pieces of feedback as part of this process, and the message was clear:
We need a brand that keeps our compassion but speaks more boldly. That helps more people feel welcome. That brings people together to create change.
So, we got to work, at every stage testing our thinking and acting on the feedback so we can be confident our brand is going to help us grow our Sands community.
Changing for the future
We heard where we needed to make some bigger changes, and what was working well. That’s why you will notice some things look quite different, whilst others have stayed the same. Like our strapline, Saving Babies’ Lives. Supporting Bereaved Families. Because all the research and feedback showed us that this remains the best way to quickly explain Sands.
But around it, you’ll start to see some important changes:
- A new visual identity that’s brighter, more modern and inclusive
- A new logo - simple, and warm - which tested well across both long-time supporters and new audiences
- A tone of voice that feels more like a conversation than a campaign
Most of all, this refreshed brand helps us:
- Reach more people who need support after baby loss
- Speak more clearly about the work we do to prevent babies dying
- Invite more people to get involved in our mission
- Create a place for everyone who cares
This is a brand for everyone who wants to make a difference.
We were guided through all this work by expert consultancy, The Team. They also helped us to consider how our brand needs to work in digital and physical spaces and places, and to make sure accessibility influenced how our strengthened brand looks and sounds. Accessibility means removing barriers to accessing information about us, the support we offer and our services. So, you’ll see we’re using a new font and different colours as just some of the ways to help us achieve this.
You’ll also see that our logo has changed. Our logo and the symbol within it tell the story of both the saving and supporting sides of what makes us uniquely Sands. People told us that this symbol represents our voices speaking up about baby loss. The subtle reference to an infant shape is a connection to our brand heritage. And people shared they felt it represents a warm, inclusive embrace at a moment when most needed, a heart to express our compassion or a bright beacon of hope at a time when all may feel lost. A story of duality between saving and supporting that is, and always has been, embedded into the very name of Sands itself.
Watching the care and consideration taken by everyone involved in this work has, for me, once again reinforced why Sands is such a unique and impactful organisation.
As a bereaved parent, a Sands trustee, and a communications professional, I’ve been deeply impressed and reassured by the care and rigour taken throughout this project. Every stage has been rooted in evidence and shaped by the voices of those who matter most – our community.
What’s emerged is a brand that not only reflects the compassion and warmth that have always defined us, but also gives us a clearer, stronger voice to drive change. Our commitment is unwavering: to save more babies’ lives and to help ensure that fewer families face the heartbreak that we know too well.
- Sarah Threadgould, Sands Trustee
Our sustainable approach
We’re taking a sustainable approach to rolling out our strengthened brand. We think this is best for the environment, and because we are always careful with our funds – it means you’ll start to see the changes first on digital platforms, like here on our website, in emails and on social media. Then as resources need to have their content updated, or be re-stocked, we’ll use our strengthened brand.
We know from all the conversations we’ve had just how important preserving Sands heritage and the unique connection so many people have with Sands is. Places like Sands memorial gardens are incredibly special to so many of us. These places and spaces won’t be changed and will always be an important part of Sands.
And now, as we look forward to the future, we know that our strengthened brand, along with our new strategy in development and the support of our growing Sands community, means we are best placed to make the most impact.
Thank you
To every parent who trusted us with your story...
To every supporter who joined a workshop, shared feedback, or helped us test ideas...
To every volunteer, staff member, partner and ally who helped shape this brand with care…
Thank you.
This is your brand. This is your community. And this next chapter belongs to all of us.
Let’s speak up about baby loss. Let’s save babies’ lives.
For babies everywhere. For families everywhere. Always.
Watch our animation to see some more of the brand you've shaped.