Memorial Gardens

Southampton Sands Memorial Garden

This is a place for all of us to visit, so please feel free to place flowers and candles at the Memorial stone at Hollybrook Cemetery (opposite Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road), this is a place for you to sit and remember your precious babies. Many people have also hung windchimes here as well and they sound so beautiful on a windy day.

The original idea for the Sands sculpture came from meeting parents who didn't know where their babies where buried and also for babies who were cremated.

The Memorial stone is in the baby section (down the hill behind the chapel) and is beautiful and very peaceful.

This memorial is a place for bereaved parents to come together to remember their children and will have particular meaning to those who were bereaved long-ago who were denied the opportunity to see or hold their baby and have had no place to go to commemorate and honour their child or children.

Southampton Miscarriage Association are also involved with this project as many of their families will have had no funeral and therefore will not always have a special place to go.

New pictures will be added to this page soon.

National Sands Memorial Garden

The concept of the Garden has been developed by Sands parents and staff and builds on the experience gained by Groups and members in creating memorials and gardens throughout the UK. Nicholas Newton, an experienced landscape and garden designer, has designed the Garden to reflect the emotional journey that many parents face in trying to come to terms with their bereavement.

National SANDS garden

The Garden features a Portland stone sculpture of the Sands teardrop logo which has been designed in a way that encourages adults and children to sit and touch the central carved figure of the baby.

The overall design and implementation of the sculpture has been arranged by the Portland Sculpture Trust. The carving of the baby was undertaken by John Roberts who recently completed three statues of twentieth century martyrs which were installed on the West Front of Westminster Abbey.

The two elm sculptural seats in the garden were designed and carved by Nigel Ross.

The National Sands garden is at The National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire.

The Garden was formally opened in June 2000. Each year Sands holds an Open Day at the Garden during Awareness Week. A Memorial Service is held in the Chapel on the site of the Arboretum. For further information about this year's open day please contact the Sands Head Office.

National SANDS Garden

At the service in June 2001, a recording was made of two beautiful songs, composed and performed by two bereaved parents, Karen and Andrew. The 2-track CD of their songs was made by The Music and Media Partnership and is available from the Sands UK office. Click here for an order form.

There are now memorial gardens in the following areas:

ASCOT & BRACKNELL
BANFF
BOOTLE
BURNLEY
BURTON and DISTRICT
FIFE
ISLE OF WIGHT
NATIONAL ARBORETUM
OLDHAM
PUTNEY VALE
RICHMOND
SHROPSHIRE
SOLIHULL
SOUTHAMPTON
THANET
TUNBRIDGE WELLS

For more information about existing gardens please contact Sands Head Office.