Becoming Mums
2009. Beth Allum
2009. Fi McQuay
Beth Allum and Fi McQuay, from Reading founded ‘Becoming Mums’, a peer support network combating isolation among new mothers.
Inspired after watching a play about giving birth which helped spark open conversations about motherhood, Beth and Fi wanted to create a safe space for women to come together and support one another. Set up in 2017, ‘Becoming Mums’ serves both as a free, facilitated, in person group, which meets up regularly, and a nationwide online community of over 850 members. ‘Becoming Mums’ also works in partnership with existing support services and can signpost advice and guidance, whilst offering a place of no-judgement support. They also run 6-week creative programmes for mothers referred by local mental health services.
Using funding from the National Lottery, Beth and Fi also started live online support sessions and a podcast series through lockdown, inviting a range of guests and experts to speak on topics such as anxiety, single parenting and domestic violence, to try to combat loneliness and isolation during such a difficult time.
Beth and Fi said:
“We are thrilled to be recognised with a Points of Light award. We are really proud of the organisation we have built and the community it has formed. It was something we needed ourselves, and in the past 6 years have found that hundreds of others did too. Maternal mental health struggles are often invisible, hidden behind closed doors, so awareness raising like this makes a huge difference. Thank you so much.”
See more about ‘Becoming Mums’.