Christmas party in Ashington organised to boost well-being for new mums

The event, at Ashington Leisure Centre, was run by Northumbria Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership and funded by Bright, the charity arm of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, to support the well-being of the new mothers.

The event included drinks, mince pies, and Northumbria Volunteer Service meet and greeter Richard Gamlin dressing up as Santa to deliver books to the children.

Rae Lowe, lead for the Northumbria Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership, said: “We have got lots of really quite small babies, which is lovely.

“It is just an opportunity to celebrate and listen to [families’] experiences and ask them to give us some feedback on the things that went well and the things that could be improved, and what the next steps for the service should be.

“It is a lovely opportunity to get people together from lots of different communities so we are here in Ashington and we are holding other Christmas parties throughout the Northumbria region to do the same again.”

Around 20 mums, along with their new babies and their siblings, attended the event.

Carla Anderson, Northumbria Healthcare’s public health lead midwife, said: "We know how important it is for emotional well-being to encourage mums to get together and share their experiences in a safe environment.

“Some of the stories we heard have already set new services into action such as plans for a postnatal group for new mums.”