The Happy Mums Foundation has stated it is "terrified" that new mothers experiencing suicidal thoughts will be left without support if its group sessions cease due to funding pressures. The charity, established in 2015, provides support to women facing postpartum mental health challenges and has assisted over 1,000 families across Cumbria.
Lucinda Bray, the charity's director, is concerned that the loss of these in-person "safe place" sessions could negatively impact the mental health of vulnerable women in the county. Women who have attended the groups describe the charity as offering "no judgement" peer support, helping them feel less isolated during traumatic experiences.
The Happy Mums Foundation has previously received funding from organisations including Comic Relief, The National Lottery, The Cumbria Foundation, and the NHS. However, the group reports that securing funding for preventative mental health services has become increasingly challenging over the past year. Thirteen weekly support groups have already been reduced to five, and without further investment, the charity may be forced to move its services online or close entirely.
Markus Campbell-Savours, Labour MP for Penrith and Solway, has written to the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust regarding the foundation's future. James Duncan, chief executive of the Trust, acknowledged that peer-led and community-based support is valuable, noting the potential closure is "particularly concerning given the relatively limited number of voluntary and community sector organisations providing this type of support across Cumbria."