Anita Hicks
Anita is one of the founding members and joint Clinical Lead for Sandy Bear Children’s Bereavement Charity. Anita’s longstanding experience has been developed over a career in nursing spanning five decades, previously working for the NHS for 40 yrs. She was instrumental in the early development of cancer and palliative care services. Anita was also responsible for commissioning hospital-based Macmillan Nurse’s which sparked her interest in supporting children whose parents have a life limiting condition.
She later went on to complete her degree in public health nursing where she looked at the way children and young people were supported in the community following bereavement.
She enjoys sharing her knowledge through conferences and seminars and empowering others to support bereaved children and families in their community.
Anita has been married for over 40 years and enjoys travelling (with a fascination for New York) and caravanning. She has six children, three of her own and three that she brought up as her own following the death of a close friend.
Lily Rice
Sandy Bear has some amazing supporters. One of these is charity Ambassador Lily Rice, Elite WCMX Athlete and International Para-Swimmer. 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.
The 19-year-old from Manorbier has found her sporting name as a backflipping champion in the world of WCMX, which adapts skateboarding/BMX riding skills for wheelchair users. More recently, in 2022, took home bronze swimming in the Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham. Lily is 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”
Leah – Youth Ambassador
My name is Leah and I am 14 years old. I’m excited to be a youth ambassador for Sandy Bear as they helped me during a difficult time after losing a family member. I want to be able to help and support others in the same way so they feel they’re not alone.
In my spare time, I enjoy socialising with my friends and seeing family, baking, drawing and I play netball.
In school, I do hair and beauty and drama which are my favourite subjects.
Emily – Youth Ambassador
My name is Emily and I am 18 years old. I’m looking forward to being a youth ambassador for Sandy Bear as they helped me during a difficult time when I was younger and I want to help other young people my age going through the same experiences that I went through so they don’t feel alone.
I am a passionate young adult with a creative mind and I love working with the youth and giving back to the community. I am studying performing and production arts at college and I am about to start a new journey with university studying BA Acting.
In my spare time I love living life to the fullest and spending time with my three brothers. I also love spending time in the outdoors and I am a leader in my local scout group.
Habeba – Youth Ambassador
My name is Habeba and I am half Moroccan and half British and I currently live in Milford Haven. I’m 17 and studying French, Spanish, English and Sociology A levels at Pembrokeshire College, hoping to study linguistics at university to either become a researcher or a speech therapist.
In my spare time, I love listening to my favourite bands, writing and being out with my friends. I also really enjoy spending time with my mum, whether that’s going for a walk or watching TV together. I’m looking forward to being a Youth Ambassador for Sandy Bears because they have done so much for me, I felt comfortable and heard in every session. I want other young people to feel like they can approach this charity and to receive the same benefits as I did; even if bereavement support seems daunting (it sure did for me when I started!). An added bonus was that during the group sessions, I also made some friends that I now care a lot about.
Tomos – Youth Ambassador
My name is Tomos and I am 18 years old. I am a Sandy Bear Youth Ambassador due to several reasons. I lived in India for 12 years and I lost my mother in India and then I came to this country. This brought huge changes for me, the education, culture and especially the weather (which are poles apart)! . These were some of many challenges I faced which didn’t help my bereavement at all. However, getting the immense support from Sandy Bear, which is like a family for me now, has allowed me to talk about my loss with anyone at any time.
I have learnt that bereavement does not leave you – it grows around and how you allow it grow and manage it is up to you. I feel talking about a loss is one of the best ways to manage it and Sandy Bear has taught me that in a very good way. My main aim as a Youth Ambassador is not to just help bereaved individuals like me, but also provide knowledge to the individuals in the community about the work that Sandy Bear is doing. One of my hobbies is to collect stamps. I like the colour and diversity which you can get out of them as they are different from country to country. I am a member of the Pembrokeshire Youth Assembly and the Pembrokeshire Youth Bank which serves the interests of the young people in Pembrokeshire. I am also serving as a student governor on the Pembrokeshire College’s Corporation Board.
