Thanks to your donations we’re supporting pregnant women and new mums in the local community.

We have provided almost £7,000 to fund weekly Maternal Journal sessions over the past two years, led by Nada Abdul-Majid, a specialist midwife at Leeds Teaching Hospitals.

Nada holds the two-hour classes every Friday at Chapeltown Children’s Centre, designed to give pregnant women and new mums with babies up to six months old the opportunity to come together. Here, they can share their experiences of motherhood, get expert advice from midwives, and participate in creative activities.

At the start of their journey, participants are given a journal to capture their experience of pregnancy and motherhood through collaging, drawing, painting, poetry and more which becomes a special keepsake they can treasure forever.

Alongside the creative journalling, there are peer support discussions around topics like pregnancy and birth, identity and motherhood, loss and grief and relationships.

The sessions are tailored to meet the needs of the participating women, creating an inclusive and welcoming environment where they feel part of a community. There are also opportunities for the participate in activities to support their mental and physical wellbeing, like sound baths and pregnancy or post-partum massages. 

The women who attend feel safe and comfortable, encouraging them to openly share their feelings and challenges of motherhood.

We spoke to Scarlet, mum of three, who attends the weekly sessions with her son Barnaby, she says:

“I didn’t get the opportunity to be part of a group like this with my other two children. Coming to the Maternal Journal sessions is my favourite time of the week.

It’s not just about expressing your creativity; it’s about being with like-minded people who understand and help you feel less alone on this journey. I have a busy life looking after my three children and always put them first, so it’s important to have this dedicated time to focus on me.”

The sessions give midwives the unique opportunity to get to know the women personally and tailor the activities in future sessions to address any specific issues raised by the participants.

This innovative project offers community‑based maternity support in a way that sits outside traditional clinical models. By combining creative journalling, peer support and specialist midwifery expertise in a trusted, non‑medical setting, the Maternal Journal reaches women who are often least likely to engage with conventional services due to language barriers, trauma, social isolation or mistrust.

Nada’s approach enables meaningful, relationship‑based engagement that not only improves mental wellbeing and reduces social isolation, but actively empowers women with the knowledge, confidence and support they need to navigate motherhood.

Nada says:

“Running the maternal journal brings me so much joy, it doesn’t feel like I’m at work. It’s amazing to be able to deliver such a unique service, purely focused on maternal wellbeing and the emotions women experience through pregnancy and becoming a new parent.

“We’re here to create meaningful connections with women, giving them time to focus on themselves, access to peer support, the opportunity to ask questions and get the support they need to improve their mental wellbeing.”

For more information, please speak to your midwife or email Nada (midwife): [email protected] to register.