Cornwall Sands the stillbirth and neonatal death support group, is celebrating after staff and customers of Sainsbury’s Truro voted for it as their new charity of the year.

The Sainsbury’s Local Charity of the Year scheme is now in its ninth year and Cornwall Sands will receive a year of support from the Truro store, which includes fundraising and awareness raising.

The store and the charity will be working closely together to support parents whose babies have died, and to fund research into the prevention of neonatal deaths.

Dawn Dickson, befriender and chair of Cornwall Sands, and a Sainsbury's employee, said: “We are delighted to have been given the opportunity of working with Truro Sainsbury’s over the coming year.

“I hope the partnership will raise awareness of our group and we will reach out to bereaved parents at a very distressing time for them. We are here for anyone that needs us, and we run a support meeting on the last Sunday of every month.”

The Cornwall Sands group meets on the last Sunday of every month at 7pm at the Alverton Hotel on Tregolls Road in Truro, and the next meeting will take place on Sunday, September 24, and bereaved parents are more than welcome to drop in for a cup of tea and a chat.

Sands supports anyone who has been affected by the death of a baby before, during or shortly after birth. It offers emotional support and information for parents, grandparents, siblings, children, families and friends, health professionals and others.

For further information visit cornwallsands.weebly.com or call 07582 831478.