Parents in Mind peer support takes off in Coventry and Warwickshire

Find out about the latest developments in our Parents in Mind project and how you can get involved.

Our Parents in Mind pilot peer support project is now well underway in the first location, Coventry and Warwickshire, with training of the first group of peer supporter volunteers starting on 23 November.

Our Parents in Mind project began in April when the Department of Health awarded us with a grant to pilot a safe, effective and sustainable model of peer support for women experiencing mental health problems in pregnancy and early parenthood.

This is a huge achievement given that volunteer recruitment of women with lived experience of emotional and mental health difficulties in pregnancy and early parenthood takes time, and a number of steps to ensure they are well and will be supported in their work once trained.

We have 11 women starting training and enough additional names to run another group hopefully in 2017 if funding permits.

Once training is underway we will be asking local NCT volunteers and members for ideas about which areas and venues would work well for the Parents in Mind support to be located from March.

Members who have any ideas or thoughts can email local project manager, Sarah: parentsinmind.wc@nct.org.uk.

We will also be interviewing for the local project manager in the second location, Runcorn and Widnes, who will start in the new year. The local branch is all geared up for Parents in Mind arriving, with local branch co-ordinator, Michelle, already collecting names for potential volunteers!

Anyone local to Runcorn and Widnes who wants to get in touch, please email parentsinmind.widnes@nct.org.uk.

More information

Keep up-to-date on all the latest developments through the Parents in Mind website with a project blog starting in the next few weeks.