Mummy Buddy
969. Janey Carey
Janey Carey, from London, is the founder of the 'Mummy Buddy Programme' supporting expectant mothers by pairing them with new mums to chat through any worries.
Janey decided to set up the programme following the birth of her first child when she realised she had lots of questions about looking after a new born baby and wanted to hear from other mums in the same situation. The initiative tackles the isolation new mums can feel. Buddies are first introduced online before meeting in person to give friendly advice and act as an informal source of information. In the first month of the programme Janey matched 50 women together as ‘mummy buddies’ and there are now over 500 women signed up to the free service.
In a personal letter to Janey, Prime Minister Theresa May said:
“By creating the ‘Mummy Buddy Programme’ you are supporting new and expectant mothers come together and help each other through the first exciting and challenging weeks of parenthood. You know from first-hand experience what a difference this can make and now, thanks to your hard work, mums across the country can benefit from the same friendly and informal support.”
Janey said:
“Oh wow! What an honour to be chosen by the Prime Minister for this award.
“The success of the ‘Mummy Buddy Programme’ is down to the hard work of many volunteers who juggle their hectic lives in order to support women through their motherhood journey.
“The feedback from the Buddies has been overwhelmingly positive, often referred to as ‘a lifeline’, and that’s what keeps us volunteers going.
“I can’t believe how quickly the programme has grown in less than a year and I look forward to welcoming a new tranche of dedicated volunteers who are due to join us, enabling us to support mums on a national scale.”