Sandy Bear

Sandy Bear

Children's Bereavement Charity
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Andrea – Why I became a Trustee

By / News /

andrea farmerAndrea Farmer, current Treasurer of Sandy Bear, became involved with the charity at the beginning of its journey back in 2017. As part of Welsh Charities Week 2023, Andrea has share with us what it is like to be a Trustee for Sandy Bear Children’s Bereavement Charity.

“I became a Trustee back in 2017 when we were a small group championing to set Sandy Bear up as charity. I feel passionate about children and young people having the right support when they are bereaved.”

Being a Trustee is a huge responsibility and involves tasks to ensure that the charity is carry out the duties if has been set up to do. Andrea, as Treasurer is involved heavily in all aspects of the finances and ensures the running of Sandy Bear is going smoothly in the background.

“As the Treasurer, my roles involves me monitoring all aspects of banking including monitoring the income and expenditure, paying invoices, salaries and expenses as well as ensuring Sandy Bear is a safe place for people to visit by having heating and electricity. As a Trustee, I hold legal accountability for the work done by the charity and the use of its funding. To ensure everything is operating smoothly, I attend quarterly Trustee Board Meetings and the Financial Sub Committee.”

As well as completing her Treasurer duties, Andrea also helps with the charity events, both for the children and young people but also to raise vital funding.

“I enjoy all aspects of being a trustee and volunteering for Sandy Bear. To know that my role is helping children, young people and their families at such a terrible time in their lives is very rewarding. The difference that Sandy Bear makes is unbelievable.”

We are always seeking new Trustees and volunteers at Sandy Bear. If you are interested in a specific role or want to find out more about our charity, you can contact us through one of the methods below:

Trustee roles

Email of call our CEO, Lee Barnett: 07548124868 or ceo@sandybear.co.uk

Volunteering

Email of call our Volunteer Manager, Hannah Beer: 07745564532 or hannah@sandybear.co.uk

Isobel – Why I became a Trustee

By / News /
Isobel

Isobel Hall, current Chair of Sandy Bear, became involved with Sandy Bear at the beginning of their journey as a charity back in 2016. As part of Trustees Week 2023, she has shared with us what it is like to be a Trustee for Sandy Bear Children’s Bereavement Charity.

“I supported Sandy Bear when it was part of the NHS, and as I was about to retire, I thought becoming a Trustee was a worthwhile venture especially as I understood the value that this kind of work makes to children and young people’s lives as well as their families. As well as being a Trustee, because of my professional background in children’s health services, I volunteer by undertaking the parents bereavement support groups and attending events.”

Being a Trustee is a big responsibility and involves tasks to ensure that the charity is carrying out the duties it has been set up to do – supporting bereaved children and young people who have experience or are facing the loss of a loved one.

“I am currently the Chair of the Trustee Board. This role has involved me at all levels of the charity, both strategically and operationally. As a Trustee and the Chair, I hold legal accountability for the work of the charity and its use of funding. It is so exciting volunteering for such a worthwhile cause. I have been able to share my knowledge and experience as well as seeing the charity grow and make a difference to the children and young peoples’ lives. I am continuously learning new things to keep the charity operating and up to date and my role keeps me active, both physically and mentally.”

Isobel has helped to lead the Sandy Cubs’ parents/carer’s groups over the last two years and have found this opportunity truly amazing. “Children have the ability to help us grown ups learn more about ourselves. When hosting the parents/carers’ support groups, they often feel they are there just for their child to receive support despite experiencing the same loss however, the adults also have to take part in the activities and become more in touch with their own feelings too. Being in these groups and supporting them on their grief journey is always so moving and a huge privilege for anyone involved.”

Being a Trustee for Sandy Bear will provide you with continued learning, the chance to use your skills and an opportunity to support our worthy cause. We are keen to recruit more Trustees from a range of backgrounds.

We are seeking some specialist knowledge and skills across finance, fundraising, PR and marketing, legal and governance, and clinical expertise.

If you are interested in the role, or want to find our more about what our charity does, call or email our CEO, Lee Barnett: 07548124868 or ceo@sandybear.co.uk

Lily Rice – Sandy Bear Ambassador

By / News /

Lily Rice, Women’s WCMX World Champion and GB para swimmer, announced as Sandy Bear’s new ambassador.

Women’s WCMX World Champion and GB para swimmer, Lily Rice, has been announced as Sandy Bear Children’s Bereavement Charity’s new ambassador.

Lily becomes an ambassador during a period of growth for Sandy Bear who are planning to spread their in-person support across Wales over the coming years. Lily will use her role to share the importance of the bereavement support the charity offers and to inspire others to support Sandy Bear.

The 19-year-old comes from Manorbier and found her sporting name as a wheelchair, backflipping champion and more recently, in 2022, took home bronze in the Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham. She was the first person to secure a medal in swimming for Wales!

Lily says: “I’m absolutely delighted to have been asked to be an ambassador for the charity! Sandy Bear provide vital support for children and young people who are experiencing bereavement and they have a huge positive impact on those in Pembrokeshire and surrounding communities”

Lee Barnett, CEO of Sandy Bear, says: “Lily is a young person with motivation and passionate about the sports she’s involved with and an infectious zest for life. We are thrilled to have Lily as an ambassador championing our cause.”

Sandy Bear are interested in hearing from other potential high-profile ambassadors from Wales or someone with a passion for supporting bereaved children and young people. If you are interested, please contact Lee on 07548124868 or email ceo@sandybear.co.uk

Oscar’s Story

By / News /
Oscar

Oscar was referred to Sandy Bear Children’s Bereavement Charity in November 2019 following the death of his grandad, Liam. Oscar and his mum, Mairead, completed the full support programme at Sandy Bear and they talk openly about their bereavement and the support they received.

Mairead shares, “A few months after Liam’s death, we were into the Covid-19 lock down. Everything stopped.. We began to receive phone calls from the Sandy Bear team to check in on how we were. They sent us books to read to help us through the loss of Oscar’s grandad. The books provided us with activities to do together which also reminded us that we needed to talk to each other. The team were also kind and delivered Oscar Easter eggs and teddy bears during a time when he needed it most.”

Once Covid-19 restrictions began to lift, Oscar and Mairead were invited to attend their bereavement support groups.

“Oscar and I were invited to attend 6 bereavement support group sessions at Sandy Bear. I went to drop Oscar off, thinking the sessions were just for the children, but I also attended a group along with other parents and carers. I met other people there who were also ‘keeping their chins up’ to help keep their children’s chins up. We chatted, drank lots of tea, shared our stories, cried and laughed – A LOT! The children also came together who had experienced similar bereavements. They shared their stories and did different activities together and are now all very good friends.”

This year, for Oscar’s 11th birthday, he decided he wanted to do something different instead of receiving presents from his loved ones.

“Oscar is a very kind person and he has always shared. As a toddler, if he was given a treat, he would only accept it if his sister could also have a treat. For his birthday this year, he didn’t want any presents and just wanted to have fun with his friends. He knew people would still want to give him presents, so instead, he asked them not to buy anything but donate money for him to give to Sandy Bear. He is so thankful for how the team helped him and he just wanted to give them something back.”

Oscar raised £140 for Sandy Bear Children’s Bereavement Charity. He came and presented the money to the people who helped him through his grief, as well as providing them with sweet treats! Not only that, Oscar recently received the ‘Commissioner’s Commendation Award’ for his exceptional support of Sandy Bear – which was signed by Bear Grylls! – as well as his fundraising badge, at the 1st Kilgetty Scout Group.

Welcoming New Volunteers

By / News /

During the Autumn, our newest members of the volunteer and staff team are undergoing their training ahead of supporting our work with Children, Young People and families. Once training is complete, they will join our fantastic volunteers in supporting people, often at some of the most vulnerable moments. The support offered makes a huge difference to those we work with as well as their wider family and community.

If you think you have what it takes, and a little time spare to support us, then we’d love to hear from you. If you’re worried that time, or your own experience may not be enough, we have other volunteering opportunities that aren’t directly working with families in areas such as admin, fundraising, and promotional activity and events.

Drop us a call or email to have a chat about our work and what you could do to support us, equally, what could you do with us to learn new skills or gain experience. admin@sandybear.co.uk or 01437700272. Or find us on social media.

Seeking New Trustees

By / News /

Could you be our next trustee?

Sandy Bear is a charity working across Wales and working with Children, Young people and those supporting them when they are anticipating or are bereaved of someone close to them.

Trustees help us to set our strategic direction and to stay on track. They support and encourage, challenge and monitor, and keep the charity on course, working according to charity and financial regulations.

What we do:

Our work includes 1:1 work with our practitioners, peer group support groups, and offering them the skills, and ability to develop self-resilience, confidence and build positive memories.

This often leads to better educational attainment, stronger emotional resilience and better relationships with family members and friends. We also train others in how to support children who are grieving. We do this with a small staff team and many more volunteers.

Who we need:

We are keen to recruit from a cross section of people who share our values and champion our work whatever your background we’d love to hear from you.

We are also seeking some more specialist knowledge and skills across Finance, fundraising, PR and marketing, Legal and governance, and clinical expertise.

If you are interested in the role, or simply want to find out more about our amazing charity, call or email our CEO in the first instance. Lee Barnett- 07548124868 or ceo@sandybear.co.uk For general information you can find us at www.sandybear.co.uk and on social media platforms

Fun Run

By / Events, News /
Fun Run

Sandy Bear has recently hosted its first fun run. The event was set up to raise awareness of the charity and the crucial work we do supporting Children, Young People and Families leading up to and following a bereavement. It was also an opportunity to raise some much-needed cash to help us continue our work and we made over £3,000 from the event.

A massive Thank you to the fantastic volunteers who supported us in the lead up to and during the event itself. Our own volunteers and those from Milford Waterfront Park run ensured everyone was safe, and that the event went well, despite a few spots of rain!

We also had support from the Port of Milford Haven who allowed us to hold the event and even supported us with some funding to put together the goody bags and medals that welcomed participants as they crossed the finish line. Local businesses also donated to fill goody bags, gave items for our hamper raffle, and even some discounts for supporters who shopped or ate along the waterfront during the day.

As always, our supporters didn’t let us down, whether it was sponsoring our runners, taking part themselves, or just showing up in yellow to raise our profile. Seasoned runners, young ones in buggies, joggers, walkers; even dogs and teddy bears took part.

Look out for future events that you can support, we couldn’t do it without you, Diolch.

Donation to ‘beacon of light’ children’s charity

By / News /
national grid visit

A children’s bereavement charity in Pembrokeshire has been nominated by staff from National Grid Electricity Distribution to receive a charity donation – and a follow up visit!

Sandy Bear Children’s Bereavement Charity was chosen by members of National Grid’s West Wales team to receive the donation of £1,000. Team Manager Mark Phillips and Team Support Gemma Amos met with Sandy Bear staff to learn more about the work they do to support young people who have suffered the loss of a loved one.

Mark said: “It really was a pleasure to meet the team and learn how they can help through so many ways; memory boxes, counselling, sharing of experiences, encouraging expression of thoughts and feelings through arts and crafts. The large number of children and relatives they have helped is amazing, truly a humbling experience to hear what they do.”

The donation was made as a result of an internal incentive scheme.

National Grid’s West Wales Distribution Manager Ryan Davies added: “Sandy Bear was chosen as it is a beacon of light for children who are experiencing difficult times. With our donation we hope that it allows them to continue their fantastic work which provides that much needed support.”

During the past 12 months, Sandy Bear has supported 312 children and young people. 

Karen Codd, Clinical Lead and Co-Founder at Sandy Bear, said: “We are delighted to have been nominated to receive £1,000 from National Grid. We have been approached by a number of professionals who would like to increase their skills and knowledge when working with bereaved children and young people. This donation will allow us to purchase resources to deliver training sessions to at least 30 professionals within Pembrokeshire. These sessions will equip them with the skills to increase their confidence to have open and honest conversations when they are needed the most.”

Picture shows (left to right): Mark Phillips (National Grid), Janine Lewis (Sandy Bear), Gemma Amos (National Grid) and Hannah Beer (Sandy Bear)

Women in Wales Charity Donates £30,000 to Children’s Projects in Wales

By / News /

WOMEN IN WALES CHARITY DONATES £30,000 TO CHILDREN’S PROJECTS IN WALES FOLLOWING THEIR ANNUAL LUNCHEON ON 12 MAY.

Raising funds for children’s projects in Wales is at the heart of the Women in Wales committee and on 13 July trustees of the charity were delighted and proud to donate £30,000 to fund five children’s projects in Wales.

Cheques were presented at Black Pool Mill, Narberth as follows:

  1. £7,000 to Dreams & Wishes  
  2. £8,000 to Pembrokeshire Food Story
  3. £5,000 to Ty Hafan
  4. £6,000 to Sandy Bear Children’s Bereavement Charity
  5. £3,000 to Pembrokeshire Riding for the Disabled
  6. A donation of £1,000 was also to MPCT.

The money was raised at the 29th annual Women in Wales Luncheon on Friday 12 May at the Mercure Holland House Hotel. Hosted by Sian Lloyd, journalist and presenter, 300 guests enjoyed an afternoon of entertainment and fundraising activities.

Alison Tod, couture milliner and one of the country’s leading hat makers and designers, was interviewed by Huw Rees, designer and TV presenter and gave an inspirational, emotional and humorous insight into her career spanning more than 40 years. During the Q&A session models displayed some of Alison’s fabulous hat creations.  

The wonderful auction provided money can’t buy items and experiences. The raffle was exceptional this year with over 50 amazing prizes all kindly donated by businesses and supporters of this annual event. 

A huge thank you goes to all our sponsors and supporters – lunch headline sponsors Sykes Holiday Cottages, support sponsors JCP Solicitors and City Energy Network, also Lyons Bowe Solicitors, Porsche Cardiff Centre and LHP Accountants. In the Welsh Wind Distillery kindly donated table gifts.

Chair of Women in Wales, Betsan Powell said, “The Women in Wales lunch has become a firm fixture in the social calendar of women from all walks of life. The success of the event is due to a hardworking committee and the support of businesses up and down the country, working together to fund children’s projects in Wales.”

The trustees are now busy planning the 30th Anniversary Lunch to be held in April 2024. Further details will be on the WIW website shortly.

Lee Barnett appointed CEO at Sandy Bear

By / News /

Lee Barnett has been newly appointed as Sandy Bear’s Chief Executive Officer. Lee joins at an exciting time for the charity to support the growing need of bereavement services for children and young people in Pembrokeshire and throughout Wales. Lee will be further developing the charity by building relationships with partners, supporters and funders to enhance and expand the vital work of Sandy Bear.

Lee brings with him experience of working within statutory and voluntary sector organisations and has a passion of supporting people, projects and organisations. As the charities first CEO, Lee has the important challenge of working with Sandy Bear to develop sustainable approaches to ensure they continue to thrive and can support beneficiaries within their current geographic area of Pembrokeshire and the hopes of providing an all-Wales service over the coming years.

The role of CEO has been funded by a number of projects, including an award from Postcode Community Trust. Thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery, Sandy Bear are part of a pilot project to allow organisations to address the needs they feel are relevant and urgent. All organisations funded by this project support people’s mental health and wellbeing. This award has also funded disability support within the workplace and other vital support functions that enable us to support our families.

Lee, Chief Executive Officer, says “I am really excited about the role and challenge ahead. The work Sandy Bear does across Pembrokeshire and its pilot projects within Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire are inspirational and life changing for our beneficiaries. Working closely with our amazing volunteers, staff and supporters, we hope that our vision where all children and young people, wherever they live in Wales can access our services and support.” 

Players of People’s Postcode Lottery have now raised over £1.1 billion to support thousands of charities and local good causes.

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