Cardiff | Health & Wellbeing
Cardiff | Health & Wellbeing
We provide volunteer birth partners to support women seeking sanctuary who would otherwise face pregnancy, birth and early motherhood alone.
What we believe
No woman should have to face birth alone
What we do
The Birth Partner Project provides volunteer birth partners to asylum-seeking and refugee women in Cardiff. In the weeks leading up to the birth, a team of 3-4 volunteers meet with the woman they're supporting to build friendship and provide practical information and compassionate emotional support. During labour, volunteers are there to give 24-hour support based on a rota system. After the birth, we continue to meet for a further 8 weeks to ensure both mum and baby have everything they need.
Our why
Pregnant women seeking sanctuary in the UK often face multiple intersecting barriers to receiving the support they need, from financial hardship, language barriers, inadequate housing and racial discrimination to being moved around to different locations, often during the late stages of pregnancy. This interrupts continuity of care and often results in the loss of social support networks, leading to increased feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Our impact
Since the charity was founded in 2016 we have supported over 150 women living in the Cardiff area. Most of the women we support are from the asylum-seeking community, and many of them are moved to Cardiff in the late stages of their pregnancy.
Get involved
We believe every woman should have access to the support and resources she needs to be physically and mentally well during pregnancy, birth and early motherhood. As a small charity, we rely on your donations to provide these vital services to pregnant women seeking sanctuary.