APP July Newsletter
Free APP webinar: Essential knowledge for preventing maternal suicide
Book your place on APP’s free webinar – on Wednesday 16th October at 12pm - here.
Suicide is the leading cause of maternal death in the UK and rates are increasing nationally. APP’s second annual Alex Baish Memorial webinar is aimed at GPs (but all frontline health professionals are welcome) and will outline the actions needed to support and protect women who develop postpartum psychosis (PP). The webinar, delivered in collaboration with The National Centre for Mental Health at Cardiff University (NCMH) and General Practitioners Championing Perinatal Mental Health Care (GPCPC) will include a Q&A session with APP’s clinical, academic and lived experience experts.
More than 2,500 health professionals signed up for last year’s webinar. Of the attendees, 92% rated the training as ‘excellent' and 100% agreed they would change their practice as a result.
Book your free place here and share with your networks to let as many people as possible who work with new mothers know how to join us.
Annual peer support survey
If you have accessed APP’s peer support services, please tell us what you think by completing our survey.
The survey will take 15-20 minutes to fill in. It is open to anyone who has used APP's peer support service (online forum, café groups, one to one support via email, video/phone call or face-to-face, NHS partnership projects, or any other contact with an APP peer support volunteer or staff member). We would also like to hear from our volunteers who have delivered peer support.
Your responses will help us improve APP’s peer support and report to our funders on the importance of our work. If you have used our service this year, please complete the survey and help us demonstrate how many people our service is reaching.
The survey can be completed anonymously and is confidential. Any comments or quotes you may wish to add will also remain anonymous. If you haven't used our peer support service but know someone else who has, please forward the link on to them.
Health professional training: book your place
Book now for our online training “Best practice care in postpartum psychosis” on 5th February 2025.
The one-day online training is suitable for professionals working with pregnant and postnatal women and families. It draws upon cutting-edge research in postpartum psychosis and bipolar disorder and the real experiences of women and families. It will develop confidence in identifying and managing risk, identifying early symptoms, and providing high quality support to women and families from preconception to recovery.
Really brilliant session. Balanced, informed, inspiring, emotional. So raw and real and yet very professional and contained. Best training I've attended in a very long time.
Tickets are now available at the early bird special rate at £165 for bookings made before 29th September. Tickets cost £195 for places booked after 29th September. Find out more and book here.
If you would like to talk about tailored training for your team, have any questions, or to join our mailing list to hear about further training dates please email: training@app-network.org
Peer support volunteer training day
APP’s peer support service connects people who are recovering from postpartum psychosis (and their loved ones) with others who have been through the experience. Each year we train new volunteers, who offer support on our peer support forum, at our café groups and to individuals.
We were delighted to run a peer support training day on Saturday 22nd June in Birmingham (pictured above). Seven new volunteers joined us to learn about peer support, share experiences and make new friends.
We can’t do what we do without our wonderful volunteers and are thrilled to welcome new supporters to our team.
It was incredibly inspiring and informative. I came away feeling ready to be part of the APP family.
I left the training feeling so empowered, and strong. And even though I was being trained to support others it was incredibly healing for myself too.
I feel welcomed into a special family. And I can't wait to get started supporting other mums.
You can watch a short reel from the day here.
New bereavement peer support project
On 23rd June 2024, APP held our first training day for bereavement peer support volunteers.
We were joined by five new volunteers who want to use their experiences to help provide support for other families who have lost family members to PP.
During the day, which was held at the Barberry National Centre for Mental Health in Birmingham, we discussed the types of information and resources that would be useful for bereaved families. We are incredibly grateful to Rich, Sean, Iain, Don and FM for sharing their experiences. It was an inspiring and moving day, especially seeing peer support in action as trainee volunteers connected with, and learned from, each other.
Our new volunteers will help us develop web content for bereaved family members in the coming months and develop a peer support group for families bereaved by PP. If you would like to get involved with this project, or hear more as it develops please contact us at app@app-network.org.
Pictured above: APP’s bereavement volunteers with APP Chief Executive Dr Jess Heron, Peer Support trainer Clare Foster and National Peer Support Coordinators Jenny Stevenson and Ellie Ware.
New PP stories from our volunteers
A foot spa on the MBU turned into a really powerful peer support session.
APP’s fantastic volunteers regularly share their experiences of postpartum psychosis to help raise awareness of PP and campaign for improved services.
Thank you to Shaheda, Eli and Jenny whose stories have recently been added to our website.
If you have been affected by these stories, need any support, or want to meet others affected by PP, please get in touch.
Pamper packs to Mother and Baby Units
We’d like to say a huge thank you to Walgreens Boots Alliance for their support of our pamper packs, which have been delivered to every mum currently admitted to a Mother and Baby Unit (MBU).
The packs are made up of beautifully gifted pamper items including moisturiser and soaps, which were donated by Walgreens Boots Alliance. They also contain letters from APP which explain more about our peer support service and link to our website where families affected by PP can find help, information and support.
We have received some lovely feedback from MBUs across the UK. The team at the West of Scotland MBU said:
Huge thank you to @ActionOnPP and @BootsUK for the lovely donation of spring pamper packs for our women. The gifts went down a treat tonight and were very appreciated.
You can read more about the pamper packs on our website.
Pictured above: APP’s Soukaina Bennani, Hannah Bissett and Natalie Thompson delivering packs to Birmingham MBU.
Could you share your story at a healthcare professionals conference?
Are you a black mum who has experienced psychosis in the perinatal period? APP will be at a conference for health professionals on Monday 4th November in London and we’re looking for a volunteer to help out at our stand, raising awareness and helping to improve care for others going through the illness.
We will support you with preparation and provide literature about APP and PP which you can share with delegates on the day.
Please get in touch with Shaheda or Ellie for more information: shaheda@app-network.org or ellie@app-network.org
The Birth Experience Study
The Birth Experience Study (BESt) has recently been launched in the UK, led by a team at King’s College London. The survey aims to explore the factors that contribute to a good or bad birth experience, the prevalence of birth trauma and how different models of care impact childbirth experiences.
The research team is interested in hearing from people who have given birth in hospital as well as in other settings. They are looking for experiences from across the UK
If you have given birth in the last five years and would like to participate in the survey you can do so here.
Is Psychiatry Working - focus on Mother and Baby Units
The BBC’s Is Psychiatry Working programme focused on postpartum psychosis and how the Mother and Baby Unit model looks after mother, baby and the family unit.
We’re incredibly grateful to Professor Femi Oyebode and journalist Emma Close for featuring postpartum psychosis in the series. Emma met with APP Chief Executive Dr Jess Heron, National Training Coordinator Dr Sally Wilson and Partners Coordinator Simon O’Hara when planning the programme. APP volunteers Jade and Lee shared their PP experiences on the programme, alongside psychiatrist Dr Trudi Seneviratne, Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist and Clinical Director at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
You can listen to the programme here. If you have been affected by any of the issues featured in the episode and would like to talk to someone, you can access APP’s peer support service here.
In the media
APP volunteer Jade shared her postpartum psychosis experience on the Is Psychiatry Working? series. Listen on BBC Sounds.
Ruth Hanna shared her story in Tyla to raise awareness of PP and APP’s peer support service.
Sarah shared her PP experience including a stay at a Mother and Baby Unit with The Obs Pod.
Kayleigh’s story was featured in the Northumberland Gazette and Mail Online as part of her Miles For Mums and Babies fundraiser.
Teresa supported the campaign for a Mother and Baby Unit in Northern Ireland by sharing her story with ITV news.
APP Ambassador, Laura Dockrill, shared her PP story on the BBC World Service and in the Sunday Times magazine (payment required to access the full article).
Fabulous fundraisers
A big thank you to our recent fundraisers, including Helen Baines and her daughter Amelia who raised £300 with a Big Bake sale at the Methodist Church in Appleton Wiske; a team of pupils from Richard Baish’s school in Oxfordshire who sold all sorts of crafts at their summer fair and raised £80; Cee Jae who took part in a 12 hour online gameathon to mark her birthday; Carole Harris and her team at Burford Golf Club who have organised various events over the last few months. A special shout out to Jade Lloyd (pictured above with her team) who organised a lovely Cream Tea afternoon at her local nursery and raised an amazing £1,700!
Over the summer, we still have lots of fundraisers taking on challenges for us, so do look out for them and give them a cheer if you’re in the area!
- Will Swannell is taking part in the London Tri on 28th July
- Sarah Pujol is taking on a ToughMudder on 8th August
- Cheryl, her son and friends are planning a 10k walk on 17th August
- Matt Mecklebrough who is continuing his epic year of challenges for us, with a half marathon in Fleetwood on 25th August
- Sarah is skydiving in Cornwall at the end of August
And we have five fabulous runners signed up for the Great North Run on 8th September – Tim, Louisa, Rob, Owen and Philippa! Look out for our social media posts about all out fundraisers and add your support if you can!
If you’re feeling inspired to take on an event for us in the coming months, or maybe even in 2025, check out our updated challenge page – highlights for next year include the London Landmarks Half, Brighton Marathon, Paris Marathon and so many more - you can now also search by region of the UK if you want to.
Do you or does anyone you know work for the Reed Group? This year, the Reed Group is asking employees to nominate charities to receive £10,000 - one charity a week for 52 weeks - so if you work there or know someone who does, please ask them to nominate APP to be one of the charities! More info here.
10 ways to support APP for free!
We're so grateful to all our supporters for continuing to think of APP and donating to help us support mums and families, but we understand that not everyone may be in a position to donate financially. We've come up with some ideas for ways you can support APP that won't cost you a single penny:
- Are you a member of any clubs, societies, or groups - for example a golf club, choir, religious organisation - that could help raise awareness and funds? Let us know!
- Sign up with EasyFundraising to raise money as you shop online - we could get some great donations if you're booking summer travel, hotels or airport parking. Plus if we get ten or more new supporters signed up this week, we'll receive a £1 bonus for each new supporter! It costs you nothing and every donation makes a difference, so please take a moment to do this for us and ask everyone you can to do the same! Sign up here.
- Got a birthday or anniversary coming up? Set up a Facebook Birthday Fundraiser: https://bit.ly/fbbdayapp
- Nominate us for a Movement for Good Award - it takes less than 1 minute and we might win £1000: www.bit.ly/NominateAPP
- Do you or anyone you know work for a company that has a charity of the year award, match funds donations, or can nominate charities for funds?
- Do you own or work in a shop or business that could host one of our loose change collectors?
- Sell any unwanted goods on eBay: https://bit.ly/APPebay
- Donate old broken or unwanted jewellery and old banknotes for recycling. Simply fill an A5-sized envelope, print off this freepost address, send it off and APP will receive a donation: https://bit.ly/apprecycle
- Recycle your inkjet printer cartridges and raise money for APP. Find out more and get your freepost label here: recycle4charity.co.uk
- Like and share all our posts to help us reach even more people.
Got any other ideas of ways you can help raise funds without spending a penny? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at: fundraising@app-network.org
Dates for your diary
APP Black Country face to face café group meet up in Walsall, Wednesday 31st July
APP Sussex and Hampshire virtual café group meet up, Wednesday 31st July
APP dads and co-parents virtual café group meet up, Wednesday 21st August
APP Manchester face to face café group meet up, Friday 23rd August
APP Scotland virtual café group meet up, Thursday 29th August
APP Black Country face to face café group meet up in Walsall, Wednesday 4th September
APP Northern Ireland virtual café group meet up, Thursday 12th September
All APP café groups can be booked here.
Contact information for all APP café groups is available here.