Welcome to Sarah Amio, Seyi Bakare, Raj Chagger, Emily Warlof and Yue Zheng who have joined our Board of Trustees, all bringing personal experience of baby loss and different strengths and skills to this important voluntary role.
The Board of Trustees is responsible for the governance and strategic direction of Sands, and it also holds legal liability.
Our Chair of Trustees David Hall said: "I'm delighted to welcome all of our new Trustees to the Sands Board. It's vital that our Trustees represent the diversity of our community of people touched by pregnancy and baby loss, and each of our newest members bring very different and valuable personal experience and professional talents to their role.
"All of our new Board members understand personally the lifelong impact that pregnancy and baby loss has for parents and families. Their commitment and drive will help Sands continue to grow sustainably, so we can do more together to save babies' lives and be here to support every family and every baby that needs us."
Meet Sarah Amio
Sarah is mum to an energetic toddler and to a baby who was sadly born sleeping. Through her own experience, she became deeply aware of how isolating and stigmatised baby loss can be.
"This role means a great deal to me because I don’t want anyone else to have to go through the experience that I did. Losing a baby changes your life forever, and for many it can be an incredibly lonely and isolating time. My own journey opened my eyes to the overwhelming number of challenges within the system and sadly, the often very limited support available.
“Sands is one of the few places bereaved families can turn to for the care, community and inclusion they need at such a devastating time. I want to support Sands in saving babies’ lives and in ensuring that everyone affected by the death of a baby can access the care and support they deserve.
“Alongside my lived experience, I bring a background in business transformation, with a focus on digital innovation and sustainability, and hope to use my global experience across a range of industries and charities to support Sands' work."
– Sarah Amio
Meet Seyi Bakare
Seyi is a bereaved mother, Sands befriender and volunteer whose lived experience of baby loss, following the stillbirth of her beautiful daughter IyanuOluwa in 2021, informs her commitment to inclusive and compassionate bereavement support.
As a Trustee, Seyi is motivated to strengthen representation for Black communities, influence equitable service design, and amplify underrepresented voices within policy and practice.
“Being a Trustee means using both my lived and professional experience responsibly to help shape the services that truly reflect the families Sands exists to support. I hope to bring compassion, cultural awareness, and a commitment to listening and being a voice for those that are often not heard or vocalised.
"Through this role I want to continue to give back and help Sands grow as an inclusive, trusted organisation where every bereaved family feels seen, supported, and valued.
“I hope my role as a Trustee is driven by the wish to ensure that all bereaved parents receive the best possible care, and to reduce the loss of babies’ lives especially those from underrepresented communities.”
– Seyi Bakare
Meet Raj Chagger
Raj is a bereaved father, advocate, and community leader who has been supporting Sands since the loss of his son, Riaan, in November 2020. Experiencing baby loss first hand shaped Raj’s determination to improve awareness, support, and understanding for bereaved families.
Raj is founder of Sands United FC Nottingham and charity, Riaan Remembers, using shared experience, remembrance, and community connection to reduce stigma around baby loss.
“I am incredibly honoured to join the Sands Board as a Trustee, an organisation that holds deep personal meaning for me following the loss of my son, Riaan. I bring my lived experience of baby loss, alongside my work within bereaved communities, to help ensure families feel heard, understood, and supported.
"Joining Sands allows me to channel my personal journey into purposeful action, and I am committed to working collaboratively to help strengthen Sands’ impact and support every family affected by baby loss.”
– Raj Chagger
Meet Emily Warlof
Emily’s son Noah was stillborn in December 2024. Information from Sands, shared by their bereavement midwives, was key to helping her and her husband navigate the early days of their loss.
Emily is Executive Director of Strategy for an NHS Integrated Care Board and has worked locally, regionally and nationally to help shape and deliver NHS strategies for over 15 years.
“The death of a child is something that no one should have to experience. When our son Noah was stillborn in December 2024 the information we received from Sands, via our bereavement midwives, was invaluable to me and my husband as we navigated the first days and weeks of our loss.
“I hope to use my personal experience and professional knowledge of the NHS and wider health and care system to help Sands’ work to reduce the number of babies lives lost each year and ensure that anyone who does need it can access care and support, as we did.”
– Emily Warlof
Meet Yue Zheng
In 2022, Yue experienced the full-term stillbirth of her daughter, an experience that has shaped her commitment to improving maternity and bereavement care.
Yue has expertise in translating scientific evidence into real-world practice. She successfully supported the release of UK government funding for a maternity clinical decision support tool, helping to embed research-led risk stratification into routine care.
“I am honoured and humbled to share that I have been appointed as a Trustee of Sands, the UK's charity that supports bereaved families and works tirelessly to save babies’ lives.
“This role is deeply personal. Our first child was born asleep in January 2022. Nothing prepares you for that kind of loss — but compassionate care does make a difference. Sands helped shape the care we received, and I am forever grateful.
“I look forward to supporting the charity’s important work through strategic governance and collaboration across research, policy and frontline care.”
- Yue Zheng
Find out more about how Sands’ Board of Trustees are appointed by our Nominations Committee, and more information about how Sands is governed.
Sands is here to support everyone touched by pregnancy and baby loss. Find out more about all the ways we offer bereavement support.