This month sees World Refugee Day, so we’re shining a light on our Newham Nurture project, supporting women from migrant backgrounds before and after pregnancy.
On Tuesday June 20th there will be a global celebration of World Refugee Day, a day to honour refugees everywhere.
Our Newham Nurture project, in partnership with local grassroots charities Alternatives Trust, The Magpie Project and Compost London, continues to support women from low income, migrant and marginalised backgrounds during and after pregnancy, and is co-produced by a steering group of women with lived experience.
The project values and encourages the voices of the women, their input is ongoing and essential in ensuring the service is accessible, inclusive and relevant, and meets the needs of its target community.
A member of the steering group said: “It’s like conception and coming to life, it makes a lot of sense to ask mums in order to help other mums. Newham Nurture is the first time we’ve been consulted and heard, and action has been taken on what we said.”
The service provides families in the London borough of Newham with antenatal education, postnatal Baby&Me sessions with infant feeding support, peer support, workshops, practical support and connecting women with suitable services.
One mum shared: “It’s good for me and my baby to come here. It’s so welcoming, when I come here and they smile, all of my sadness goes away – I have found my sisters here.”
Staff and peer supporters advocate for mums and help them navigate what can be a hostile environment, supporting mums who face many barriers and challenges.
A family support manager from a local community organisation who refers refugee women to Newham Nurture when they arrive in the UK said: “They arrive and they don’t have any support around them. Newham Nurture, it’s somewhere friendly to go, and warm and welcoming. I’ve seen a very positive impact on mums there that they feel they’re part of something.”
Explore the Newham Nurture programme on our website.
Our Parents in Mind programme has recently expanded to Newham and East Sussex. Take a look at what the service does.
From coffee groups to meet-ups for new dads, our local groups and activities can help you build up a supportive social network. Put your postcode in to find out what you could go along to near you.
We also run a free infant feeding support line, which is open every day of the week from 8am to midnight. Call 0300 330 0700.
