Thanks for chatting with us Georgia, we're really excited to have you on board! Can you tell us a bit more about why this new campaign is needed?
At Bluebell, we support parents' mental health and wellbeing during pregnancy, birth and beyond, and within our work we recognise that everyone's journey into and through motherhood is different.
Research has shown that 20% of new and expectant mothers will experience perinatal mental health difficulties. A recent study by University College London suggests that rates of postnatal depression almost doubled during the first Covid lockdown to 47.5% of those with a baby aged six months or younger.
It is more important than ever that Bluebell exists for all parents – so they can find support and not have to face this alone.
Today is Mothering Sunday, typically a day of flowers, chocolates and (hopefully!) a lie in for anyone in a mothering role – all nice things but pretty fleeting. What would you like to see the mums we support receive?
We know that for mums experiencing perinatal mental health difficulties, those things are nice but not enough. Ultimately, we want to see equitable support and universal access for all parents across all the areas we're working in. And, like all charities, we hope we won't be needed one day!
"But for now, we want to be greeting parents at Bluebell Place with a hot drink and a smile. We want our peer support workers to be out and about meeting parents at their homes and in the community. We want to be offering wellbeing group activities in as many locations as possible. And we don't ever want anyone to face perinatal mental health difficulties alone – but this all needs to be funded."
How would you like people to help?
We know that many people reading this will have used our services in the past, know someone who has or may have experienced their own perinatal mental health difficulties. This week, we're asking them to donate the cost of a coffee to Bluebell and help us fund our services for the long-term.
It may seem like a really small gesture, but small gestures add up.
And how will the donations help Bluebell?
Every year, 2,000 parents access our group activities or peer support services. We want to be there for every single one of them, but it costs over £30k a year just to keep our doors open at Bluebell Place.
Like everyone, we're facing rising costs across all our services and as a charity, we rely on donations to keep those services going. So we're asking parents to donate the cost of a coffee so we can continue to be there for everyone who needs us.
You can donate easily here.
Times are really hard for so many people right now, and donating may not be possible for everyone. Can people help in other ways?
Absolutely! If you can't donate, then sharing, liking or commenting on our posts on social media is super helpful as it raises awareness.
Talking to your employer about Bluebell (we can offer training for supporting employees with perinatal mental health), organising a small fundraising event at work/with your friends or maybe volunteering with us. It all helps!
Finally, can you tell us – from one mum to another – what you would say to anyone struggling right now?
Be kind to yourself. Parenting is hard, and people aren't always honest about that. We want to encourage parents to reach out, find us and get the help they need - when they need it.