For nearly 4 years, Helen Johnson has voluntarily been running a support group for new parents who live in Poynton and the surrounding areas. She started the group when her own child was just a few weeks old, as there was nothing else like it in the area.
Long after her own children have grown out of the group, it has continued to be a lifeline for many parents, who are either first time parents or parents of multiple children. It provides a safe space for new mums and dads to be able to chat to each other, build social networks and help them through the first phase of parenthood.
It has also become an official Cherubs support group and we have a breastfeeding consultant who comes in once a month, who can provide support on breast and bottle feeding, weigh babies and also give mental health referrals where needed. This is a vital link for new parents, with no other group like it in the area.
Since the beginning, we have kindly been given a free space to use to run the group, which is connected to the most wonderful and supportive of coffee shops. There has been a recent change in management of the space, and unfortunately due to new policies being put in place, we are no longer able to use it as we did before. We now need some form of income to be able to rent a space and cover the costs for this group to continue long term, and keep this support group free for all those who attend it.
We do not want financial constraints to impact accessibility for new parents, especially when they have reduced income during the period of parental leave. We need £2,500 a year to cover the costs of renting the space on a weekly basis and have a Go Fund Me page to help raise the money needed.
PLEASE DONATE TO HELP KEEP THIS GROUP GOING!
