Sussex postnatal support groups paused after drop in funding

Heidi Brydon said attending a peer support group made her realise she "wasn't alone and wasn't a failure"

A charity offering support to new mothers has paused its "lifesaving" work after a steep decline in funding.

Brighton-based Mothers Uncovered said it had only received a fifth of the grants and half the council money it applied for last year.

Founder Maggie Gordon-Walker said many participants had praised the sessions, which "saved them from going into postnatal depression".

Brighton & Hove City Council has been contacted for comment.

The charity, which runs peer-to-peer support groups and has helped over 3,000 women since 2008, is now fundraising to continue its postnatal groups.

"Last year, we applied for about 50 funds. We got 10 of those and most were for a few thousand pounds," said Ms Gordon-Walker.

Ms Gordon-Walker said: "The landscape is so competitive because so many larger organisations have had funding cuts.

"They're applying to the same funding that we are and it knocks the smaller organisations out."

Ms Gordon launched the groups, which meet in family hubs and church halls, after feeling "isolated and lonely" when she became a mum.

She hoped to create a space for other mums to discuss things that were difficult.

'I wasn't alone'

Up until its recent pause, the charity was helping 50 women a year through five weekly sessions.

With the costs of renting space, paying facilitators, insurance and accounts, Ms Gordon-Walker estimated it would need around £40,000 to continue running in 2024.

Heidi Brydon, a facilitator with the charity, said its work was an "absolute lifesaver".

Ms Brydon said she did not know "what would happen to all those mums that need help" without the groups

She started attending sessions in 2008 after feeling that she was "failing" following the birth of her first child.

"I went to the doctors and they said I could see someone in about six months or I could be put on medication, and I didn't want that," said Ms Brydon.

But Mothers Uncovered made her realise she "wasn't alone".

"I was good at being a mum. I just did things differently to how - in my mind - I'd expected it to be. I was accepted."

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