At risk Cumbrian in-person postpartum mums’ groups saved

A mothers’ support service has said it is “absolutely thrilled” after it received £70,000 worth of grants to maintain its in-person wellbeing groups.

The Happy Mums Foundation, which supports women experiencing postpartum mental health challenges, was set up in 2015 and has helped more than 1,000 families across Cumbria.

Last month the organisation said its in-person peer support groups were at risk due to funding pressures.

But grants from both the Postcode and National Lottery mean that the immediate risk has been lifted, said director Lucinda Bray. “We can keep supporting mums,” she said.

Due to funding pressures, the organisation had been considering moving its in-person peer support groups online.

But Bray previously told the BBC that the loss of these real world safe spaces could worsen the mental health of vulnerable women in the county.

She said that being able to talk about suicidal thinking was actually “quite a good preventative factor”.

“If that doesn’t have an outlet and you don’t have a safe space to talk about those things, where might they go?” she said.

The foundation has since been awarded £50,000 by the Postcode Lottery and £20,000 from the National Lottery.

“I’m absolutely thrilled,” said Bray.

“It means that we can continue the groups we are running and we can continue working on ways to make our organisation more sustainable for the future.”

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