APP January 2025 Newsletter

Kick off the New Year with an exciting fundraising challenge for APP!

Are you ready to try something new and exciting this year? If so, we can help! We have access to places in hundreds of running, cycling and swimming events up and down the country, and throughout the year. Tough Mudders, obstacle courses, trail runs, London - Paris cycle rides, full and half marathons and so much more - we have something for all abilities.  Check out a few highlights here.

Get inspired by Rob’s story: Last year Rob took part in the Great North Run for APP and shared an inspiring account:

As soon as we set off, the adrenaline of taking part in such a massive fundraising event kicked in. 60,000 people of all ages and abilities were running and thousands more braved the elements to cheer us on. Hearing a total stranger call your name when your joints are aching with lactic acid is one of the best pick-me-ups going.

Read Rob’s full story here.

If you’re looking for a challenge that doesn’t involve any training - just a lot of bravery - we can also organise bungee jumps and skydives! 

Brighton Marathon weekend - 6th April

Join us for this year’s Brighton Marathon weekend on 6th April. We have a huge team taking part including four marathon runners, plus APP supporter Juliette has gathered a team of 15 of her friends and family to take on the Brighton 10K on the same day.  APP cheerleaders will be out in force so it should be a day to remember! If you'd like to join the APP cheerleaders at this event, please let Rachel know. 

We still have one place remaining for the full marathon - let Fliss know asap if you’d like to join us on the day and be part of the fun.

Miles for Mums and Babies 2025

Miles for Mums and Babies is back for 2025 so get planning your challenge if you’d like to be part of it.  Last year saw APP supporters run, walk, swim and rollerskate their miles to raise funds and awareness. It’s a wonderful way to mark Maternal Mental Health Week in May, but you can start your challenge any time that suits you.

Good luck to The North London Foundation Trust (NLFT) Perinatal Services team who are the first to get going in 2025, with their team aiming to cover 1,400 miles in January and February!

Find out more about how you can get involved with Miles for Mums and Babies 2025 here.

Join APP’s First Ever Adventure -
21st June, Mam Tor, Peak District

This Summer, we’re inviting you to join us for the APP Adventure 2025 in the beautiful Peak District. Taking place on 21st June, we’re aiming to bring together APP staff, volunteers, supporters, family, friends and healthcare professionals from all over the UK for a walking challenge of Mam Tor (“Mother Hill”)

  • Saturday 21st June - Mam Tor Challenge, Peak District, Derbyshire
  • An 8 mile/13 km circular walk, taking approx 4 hours, including Mam Tor, passing through the village of Hope. (A longer 20 mile trek is available too on the same day depending on demand - let us know if you're interested)
  • Total ascent: 514m
  • 11am start time
  • £25 registration fee secures your place (plus a £200 suggested fundraising target)

What's included:

  • Event run by charity challenge organisers Sky Blue Adventures
  • APP T-shirt, medal and goody bag
  • APP fundraising pack and support with your fundraising activities
  • Experienced mountain leaders (fully qualified and first aid trained)
  • Snacks, plenty of laughs, the chance to make new friends and memories!

We already have quite a team signed up. We'd love you to join us.  Register here, or if you have any questions, drop Fliss a message on fundraising@app-network.org. 

Support APP by donating shares to ShareGift

We’ve had a lovely start to the year hearing that ShareGift has chosen APP to receive a £7,500 donation!

ShareGift works by collecting together small lots of shares until there are enough to sell, then donating the proceeds to charities. If you have any number of shares that would cost more to sell than they are worth, donate them to ShareGift, mention Action on Postpartum Psychosis and they’ll do the rest. It’s straightforward and free to do. Find out more: www.sharegift.org or email Fliss on fundraising@app-network.org

Finally...

Watch this space for some BIG news about the 2026 London Marathon..!

Health professional training - book now for training in February!

I thought this training was absolutely excellent. It was invaluable to hear lived experience and I felt confident in the absolute expertise of everyone included.

Don’t miss APP’s next health professional training day on the 5th February.

Our workshop, “Best Practice care in Postpartum Psychosis” equips health professionals with the essential skills and knowledge to: 

  • recognise and manage the early signs of PP; 
  • stay up to date with the latest research into causes, risk factors, treatments and best practice care; 
  • Support women and their families confidently from diagnosis to recovery and beyond. 

You’ll hear from those with lived experience, APP staff, academics and clinicians. This highly rated training receives consistently positive feedback, with 100% saying they would recommend it to colleagues.

You can find out more and book a place here.
Student discount is available, please enquire over email for more information: training@app-network.org

Evaluation study of APP’s peer support embedded within Mother and Baby Units

A new study, led by the Care Policy and Evaluation Centre (CPEC) at The London School of Economics, is underway to evaluate APP’s peer support projects in Mother and Baby Units (MBUs).

The RAPPORT study (Realist evaluation of Action on Postpartum Psychosis’ MBU peer suppORT) will assess APP-provided peer support at three Mother and Baby Units in England. Researchers will carry out in-depth conversations with mothers who have accessed support, APP peers and managers, and NHS staff to understand how the charity’s model impacts women's lives.

Peer support in Mother and Baby Units is patchy and varies across the country. This research, funded by the Three NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) Schools Mental Health Programme, aims to understand the benefits and essential ingredients. It aims to identify the resources needed for effective implementation and assess value for money.

The research will be conducted at MBUs in Lancashire, Birmingham and Manchester. Dr Jess Heron, APP Chief Executive, said:

We’re delighted to be part of this important study which will help advance understanding of effective peer support in MBUs for those with severe postnatal illness.

If you have been supported by an APP peer worker in Lancashire, Birmingham, Manchester or Morpeth, and would be willing to take part, please get in touch: app@app-network.org

You can read more about APP’s embedded NHS peer support here

Join an APP café group

APP runs regional peer support café groups around the country. We also have an online group for Muslim mums, LGBTQ+ families, grandparents, and dads/co-parents.

Don’t worry if you live in an area without a regional group; we run a monthly peer support group on Zoom for anyone living anywhere in the UK.

All these groups are welcoming and friendly places where you can meet others, share experiences and find out more about APP. Come along, whether you are newly recovering from PP or had PP many years ago.

Information about all our peer support, including upcoming café group dates are available on our website here. You can watch a video here by APP’s Jessie about our London café group which shows how our meetings work. 

Who Is Your Mummy And Where Did She Go? – Show and Exhibition

Tickets are on sale now at Waterside Arts, Sale, Manchester for Company Four’s new theatre production and exhibition, Who Is Your Mummy And Where Did She Go? (pictured above) 

APP families have attended workshops, contributed artwork and shared their experiences to help inform the production, which focuses on postpartum psychosis. Members of the APP team will be in attendance on both evenings - do email us if you plan to attend. We’d love to meet you!

The Show

  • Location: Waterside Arts, Sale
  • Dates: Friday, 31st January and Saturday, 1st February 2025
  • More information and tickets: HERE

The Exhibition

  • Dates: Saturday, 18th January – Saturday, 18th February 2025
  • Location: Waterside Arts, Sale
  • Further information: HERE

PP storytelling

Until it happened to me I had no idea about postpartum psychosis. I want other mothers to know that, no matter how frightening it is, you can recover with the right help.

APP’s fantastic volunteers regularly share their experiences of postpartum psychosis to help raise awareness of PP and campaign for improved services. APP offers support throughout the process, with planning, writing, sharing and reflecting upon the experience.

Thank you to Georgina, Natalie and Jenni whose stories have recently been added to our website.  

If you have been affected by these stories, need any support, or want to meet others affected by PP, please get in touch

Dates for your diary

  • APP Sussex and Hampshire virtual café group meet up, Monday 27th January
  • APP Northern Ireland  virtual café group meet up, Thursday 6th February
  • APP Lancashire and south Cumbria face to face café group meet up in Blackburn, Friday 7th February
  • APP Scotland face to face café group meet up in Edinburgh, Saturday 8th February
  • APP Wales face to face café group meet up, Saturday 8th February
  • APP Lancashire and south Cumbria virtual café group meet up in Newcastle, Monday 10th February
  • APP UK wide  virtual café group meet up, Thursday 13th February
  • APP North East face to face café group meet up in Newcastle, Monday 17th February
  • APP dads and co-parents virtual café group meet up, Wednesday 19th February
  • APP Manchester face to face café group meet up, Friday 21st February
  • APP grandparents virtual café group meet up, Monday 24th February
  • APP Sussex and Hampshire virtual café group meet up, Monday 24th February
  • APP London virtual café group meet up, Thursday 27th February
  • APP Birmingham face to face café group meet up at Canon Hill Park, Friday 28th February

Contact information for all APP café groups is available here

Events/conferences

Online singing group for new mums with symptoms of postnatal depression, starting 30th January

Free singing group for women experiencing low mood, anxiety, stress, social isolation, symptoms of postnatal depression or who have experienced postpartum psychosis with babies aged 12 months or below. Run by Breathe Arts Health Research, this is a 10 week programme and women from anywhere in the country can join via Zoom. More details here

See me. Hear me. The Conversation, Wednesday 12th February

Maternity Engagement Action event for healthcare professionals, policymakers, community advocates and local Black or Black Mixed Heritage mums looking at disparities in maternal care and discussing actionable steps to create a healthcare framework centred on equity. More details and tickets here

Half day introduction to perinatal mental health, Thursday 13th February

Online mental health training for those supporting parents during pregnancy, birth and beyond run by Lifeboat Perinatal Mental Health. More details and booking information here.

 Suicide&Co’s sector summit, Thursday 27th February

In-person and online day for for professionals working with individuals bereaved by suicide. More details and booking information here.

From Harm to Hope: the 10th annual Self Harm and Suicide Prevention festival, Friday 28th February

In-person and online annual conference run by Harmless – the national centre of excellence for self harm and suicide prevention. The day will feature a range of expert speakers and leading academics. Booking information here.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Wales Conference, Wednesday 12th March

Face to face conference in Cardiff, chaired by Mind Cymru. Welsh health and social care providers, employers, public service providers, schools, universities and community groups to discuss the next steps for improving mental health in Wales. More details and booking information here. 

Black Maternal Health Conference UK, Friday 21st March

Face to face event in London for healthcare providers, researchers, policymakers, advocates, students and mothers to address maternal health disparities. Organised by The Motherhood Group. More details and booking information here

If you would like to advertise your event here, please get in touch: app@app-network.org.