Action on Postpartum Psychosis | The national charity for mums and families affected by postpartum psychosis

27 May 2025

2025 GSK IMPACT award ceremony

Members of the APP team have attended a special ceremony to collect our 2025 GSK IMPACT award.

We’re thrilled that Action on Postpartum Psychosis has been honoured in this way. The annual awards, which are delivered in partnership with The King’s Fund, are a mark of excellence in the charity sector, recognising outstanding work by small and medium sized charities.

More than 700 charities entered this year’s awards. Ten winners, including APP, were chosen by the panel. The winning charities each received £40,000 of funding along with a three-day training and development programme at The King’s Fund, which was rounded off by the London award ceremony.

APP Chief Exec Dr Jess Heron, Trustee Anna Jones and Kim Mullard collect GSK IMPACT Award — Photo credit: Lisa Bretherick Photography

The presentation of the awards was led by Katie Pinnock, Director of GSK’s UK Charitable Investments, and APP's Vice-Chair, Anna Jones and APP’s Chief Executive, Dr Jessica Heron accepted our prize (pictured above L-R with Kim Mullard, APP's Director of Finance and Operations and Lisa Weaks from The Kings Fund). A new short film showcasing APP’s work was also shown for the first time at the event.

The video, which features APP peer support staff working with families at Mother and Baby Units as well as Shaheda Akhtar from our Diverse Communities Outreach project, was commissioned as part of the GSK IMPACT award prize package. You can watch it above or here.

The award judges said:

Action on Postpartum Psychosis is the only national charity exclusively supporting mothers and families affected by this frightening and sometimes devastating illness. APP's strength lies in its unique integration of lived experience into its work, ensuring that women’s voices directly shape the charity’s work and wider services.

Through its powerful partnerships with the NHS, dedicated volunteers, and a focused approach to reaching those in greatest need, APP continues to lead the way in offering help and raising awareness among both the public and health professionals to make a lasting difference.

APP Chief Executive, Dr Jess Heron, said:

We’re proud that our work has been recognised by GSK and the Kings Fund. When we began, 15 years ago, postpartum psychosis (PP) was surrounded by stigma and few people dared to speak about it. We have had a wonderful few days training with The Kings Fund, surrounded by inspiring staff, trainers and other charity leaders, and we’re delighted with our film. The impact that GSK and The Kings Fund have by highlighting and supporting the work of smaller health charities is immense. Postpartum psychosis is a life-threatening and terrifying illness. At least 140,000 new mums across the globe experience it each year, many with little access to care. No woman or family should face PP alone. We know the award will help us spread awareness and good practice.

26 May 2025

Mental Health Team take on Great North Swim for APP

On June 14th, a team of healthcare professionals from the South West Yorkshire Community Perinatal Mental Health Team will heading to the Lake District to take part in the Great North Swim to help raise funds and awareness for APP.

Attempting the one mile swim in the UK's biggest open water swimming event will be Claire, Louise, Mary, Roban and Laura - all of whom work together in the perinatal mental health team.

Claire explains more about how they got started and why they chose to take on this amazing challenge for APP.

'We started going out swimming once a month and now meet two - three times a week. It really has had a fantastic impact on our lives. It is so freeing being out in the water. We chat, put the world to rights, laugh and off load with each other, or swim bits on our own to just get some real time for ourselves in our busy lives.

It’s been really nice recently swimming (literally) alongside baby ducklings, swans and geese. It’s feels really special and the warm weather is definitely making it a pleasure to be out in the water.

Although we are not distance swimmers, we have all now swum a mile in the open water so this has given us a real confidence boost for the actual swim.

We are blown away by the generosity of people who have donated to your charity. We work with families affected by this illness and they often tell us no one had ever told them this was an illness that could affect them after having a baby, so we wanted to help raise awareness so women and birthing people and families know what the illness is and how to access support if they feel they are at risk or are experiencing symptoms.

We hope the number of donations reflects we have managed to spread the message and raise funds so you can continue all the work APP does.'

A huge thank you to all the team from all of us at APP - we can't wait to hear how you get on, fingers crossed for nice weather on the day!

You can find out more and add your support for our Great North Swim team here.

21 May 2025

DayDot launches new maternal mental health planner with APP

We're delighted to have worked in partnership with DayDot to develop a beautiful maternal mental health planner - a gentle, reflective, supportive space designed to support new parents through the highs, the lows, and everything in between.

DayDot is a journal company created in 2023 by husband and wife team Chris and Tara from Northern Ireland. Tara is part of the APP network and their journey began after Tara was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis following the birth of her second child in 2021.

During her illness Tara says she clung to her journal, writing everything down. However, as her recovery progressed, she found it difficult to continue journaling, a practice she had maintained since 2008. She tried bullet journaling and planners with daily prompts, but none of them seemed to be the right fit for her. She felt the creativity was either too much or not enough, and the structure was too rigid, and for her, missing a day would ruin the entire week! Chris and Tara wanted a solution that would allow the user to take days off, focus on manageable tasks, and emphasise the positivity of each day. They decided to create DayDot Journals, a unique blend of structure and flexibility, which aim to empower users to make the most of their time while nurturing their creativity and well-being.

Tara says:

"APP were there for me when I didn’t believe I could ever feel happy again. I wouldn’t be here without them. This planner is my thank you — and a promise to other mums that they're not alone."

Created in collaboration with DayDot Journals and Action on Postpartum Psychosis, all profits from this planner go directly to APP — helping fund vital support for families experiencing postpartum psychosis.

The planner is aimed not just at those who have experienced postpartum psychosis, but for any mother navigating the emotional landscape of early motherhood.

They can be purchased directly from DayDot, and are available with the maternal mental health planner, or simply with a plain lined or dot grid paper interior.

5 May 2025

APP launches new bereavement support web pages

Action on Postpartum Psychosis, the UK charity dedicated to supporting families affected by postpartum psychosis (PP), has launched new web resources to support individuals bereaved by the illness.

The resources, which are on the APP website, have been co-produced with academic experts, people with lived experience and third sector organisations which work with bereaved families.

The web pages include lived experience stories, information about postpartum psychosis and grief and guidance for supporting family members and children following bereavement. They also contain help with tasks after a bereavement, practical advice about financial support, inquests and investigations, coping with media interest, and ideas for remembrance.

APP’s bereavement support project responds to a long-standing gap in tailored support for bereaved families affected by PP. It has been made possible thanks to the Department of Health and Social Care’s Suicide Prevention VCSE Grant Fund, which awarded grants to 79 charities across England, including APP, to support life-saving suicide prevention services.

Rich Baish, APP Development Manager, said:

“I lost my wife to postpartum psychosis in 2022, and this content is something I would have really benefited from at the time. The web pages have been designed for partners and families of mums who’ve lost their lives and offer support, advice and practical help as they cope with their loss, as well as resources for families reeling from the loss of a baby. APP’s new resources are so important in making sure bereaved families can find help and support quickly. We’ll keep developing this resource over time, so if you have content to contribute, please do get in touch. I have also found meeting other families who have been bereaved to be cathartic and I would really encourage people in similar positions to get in touch with our specialist peer support team.”

APP can now offer peer support to bereaved families via a small team of trained volunteers, made up of people who have each lost someone in their family, including husbands and partners, mothers, fathers and adults who lost their mothers because of PP when they were children.

Dr Jess Heron, Chief Executive of APP, said:

“We must emphasise that most women recover from PP. Whilst deaths resulting from PP are very rare in the UK, losing a loved one in this way is utterly devastating and isolating. We are delighted that APP now has a small community of bereaved families who can come together and offer support to other families reeling from this tragedy. Our volunteers say that being able to talk to someone in this way at the time of their bereavement would have been so helpful for them.”

APP is grateful to Suicide&Co, The Loss Foundation and Anna Wardley, Churchill Fellow, for their contributions and guidance during the development of the new web resources. The pages can be accessed here.

If you or anyone you know have been affected by bereavement related to PP you can find out more about APP’s peer support service here. If you would like to join our community or contribute to the resource, please do get in touch. Health professionals working with individuals and families can also signpost people to APP’s support.

2 May 2025

How to get involved with Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week

We're proud once again to support Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week (5 - 11 May) – an important campaign founded by the Perinatal Mental Health Partnership.

The theme for this year's campaign is “Your Voice, Your Strength” – something that resonates deeply with us at APP, reinforcing the work we already do to amplify the voices of women and families affected by PP.

During the week you'll see us sharing stories and further highlighting the information and support we have available so no one has to go through this alone.

There are plenty of ways you can get involved, too, so we've outlined some of the activities we'll be taking part in on social media below:

Just prior to the main week, on Friday 2nd May, we have Pregnancy and Postpartum Psychosis Awareness Day (#PPPAwarenessDay). We’re also opening bookings for FREE training for health professionals.
On Monday 5th May, the theme is “Conversations That Matter” – so we’ll be having open and honest discussions around maternal mental health, and launching new resources to support families.
On Thursday 8th May from 7.30pm, we're hosting an online creativity session that you're welcome to join. It will be a relaxed online session where you can share your creative work (art, poetry, or something else) related to postpartum psychosis, and chat about what it means to you.
On Friday 9th May, it’s the ‘Perinatal Positivity Pot’ day where we'll be focusing on stories of hope and recovery and, at 10am, we're excited to be going live on Instagram with Eve from the Perinatal Mental Health Partnership and Shaheda and Sally from the APP team.
Plus, on the same day at 12.30, we're thrilled that author and APP ambassador, Laura Dockrill, is going to be running another online creative writing session for our lived experience community. No experience is required - all you need is something to write with and on, and to book ahead!

Remember, to get involved and be kept up to date with further information:

Follow @ActionOnPP on social media (Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Threads and BlueSky). Every like, comment and share helps spread awareness.
Share your story or your thoughts and tag us.
Book ahead for the Thursday evening creativity session and the Friday lunchtime writing session.
Join our free APP Network to connect with others and get regular updates, just visit our website and tap ‘Get involved’.
Sign up for our Miles for Mums and Babies challenge this May to help raise awareness and support families affected by postpartum psychosis.

1 May 2025

Nurse makes miles matter for maternal mental health

Laura Davies, a Mental Health Nurse at Betsi Cadwaladr’s Perinatal Mental Health Service, is running almost 70 miles from Ysbyty Gwynedd’s Maternity Unit to the site of the new specialist mental health Mother and Baby Unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital to raise money for APP and Awyr Las: The North Wales NHS Charity’s Perinatal Mental Health fund.

In Winter 2025 the all-new Seren Lodge Mother and Baby Unit will be opened at the Countess of Chester Hospital following a unique collaboration between Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, NHS England and NHS Wales.

For the past few months, Laura has been training hard for her incredible challenge whilst raising almost £1,400 for her chosen charities.

Talking about her challenge, Laura said: “We know that admission to a mental health unit can be a scary and stressful time for many of our families and we want to be able to offer additional support that goes over and above what the NHS can fund to anyone who may need it during this time.

“This is why during the first week of May, to coincide with Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, I have decided to embark on this big challenge in order to raise funds for our service and Action on Postpartum Psychosis.”

Once open, Seren Lodge will become a specialist eight bedded mental health unit to support perinatal mothers, babies and their families from across North Wales, Cheshire and Merseyside.

The unit will provide a safe and therapeutic space for women to receive care and treatment and will enable mothers to remain with their babies whilst they recover, whilst also supporting partners and families during this time.

A spokesperson for Awyr Las: The North Wales NHS Charity said: “Laura is taking on an incredible challenge by running almost 70 miles from Ysbyty Gwynedd to the Countess of Chester Hospital to raise funds for Perinatal Mental Health at Betsi Cadwaladr, and also to raise awareness for maternal mental health as we enter Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week. The money Laura raises will go towards funding over and above support for women and their families during challenging times. Good luck, Laura!”

As the UK’s national charity dedicated to supporting women and families affected by postpartum psychosis – for which admission to a Mother and Baby Unit, like Seren Lodge, is paramount - APP is delighted to be included in this impressive fundraising challenge.

Felicity Lambert, National Fundraising Coordinator, APP, said: “We’re wishing Laura the best of luck for her incredible ultra marathon this weekend. We’re all in awe of her taking on this massive challenge to raise funds and awareness of APP and for Seren Lodge Mother and Baby Unit. The funds she raises for APP will help us support even more women and families affected by postpartum psychosis – a severe but highly treatable maternal mental illness. Thank you, Laura!”

To support Laura’s fundraising challenge, you can donate to both Awyr Las: The North Wales NHS Charity and APP here: Team fundraising for Awyr Las and APP is fundraising for APP

29 April 2025

Iqra's story - I kept pushing myself like I had a superpower

When a mental health professional told me that I was really poorly - but that I could be treated - I stopped running away from it. I finally knew that there was something wrong with me, that it wasn’t my fault and, with the right help I could get better. It was the most reassuring thing anyone had said to me since I gave birth to my twins.

It was 2023 when I became unwell with postpartum psychosis (PP). I didn’t actually realise I was unwell at the time, but now I can reflect on it, I can pinpoint when it all started. And I believe I started to become unwell almost straight after giving birth.

I already had three children when I was pregnant with twins. My husband and I were both really excited. We’d recently moved house and had it renovated, and I was due a c-section, so everything felt a bit more planned. But we certainly didn’t plan for me becoming so unwell. In fact, neither me nor my husband had ever heard of PP before it affected us.

After giving birth, I didn’t really feel a connection to my new babies. My husband was obviously busy trying to look after our other three children, one of who has special needs, and I just felt a bit overwhelmed. I was struggling to feed the twins and I was really low on iron, which meant I found it hard to stay awake and I kept losing consciousness.

I just couldn’t admit that I needed help and I needed to slow down.

After having a blood transfusion I was able to go home to be with my family. I was excited to be back at home but I found it really difficult. I’d be up in the night with my newborns, and my husband would be up in the night with our son who is autistic. The workload of running a home and looking after five children just became too much – but every day I kept telling myself that I was fine – I could handle it. I just couldn’t admit that I needed help and I needed to slow down.

As exhaustion started to get the better of me, I started to believe some strange and supernatural ideas. The house we live in is my husband’s late grandad’s, and I started to believe that his spirit was around me and that I could hear his voice. I didn’t feel scared at first – in fact I felt quite positive about the experience. But as time went on, I started becoming agitated as well, snapping at everyone and yet I still refused to admit that I was struggling and needed help.

I set myself really high standards, trying to breastfeed both my twins and trying not to give them dummies which was really tough. Then, when they were eight weeks old, I broke down, feeling defeated. I gave them dummies and felt really disappointed in myself.

I was losing control of my own mind.

From that point on I wasn’t sleeping at night, even when the twins were asleep and I had that time and space to myself. I remember that I would look at their faces and feel scared. My mind was playing tricks on me and, when I looked at them, their faces looked disfigured. I was losing control of my own mind.

I definitely still had some kind of grasp on reality, however, because I knew that if I said out loud what I believed and what I was thinking people would assume I was crazy. So I kept everything to myself.

My delusions and hallucinations started becoming more intense at this point. I created some kind of male figure in my mind who was telling me that I wasn’t attractive and that my hands and my hair were awful. I became obsessed with these thoughts, spending all night brushing my hair and washing my hands over and over. Then the delusion started to spiral out of control, telling me to take my own life, and that my family would be better off without me.

As a Muslim woman in the Asian community, I’d heard people talking about black magic and I started wondering if somebody had performed black magic on me. I had no understanding of maternal mental health problems, and I’d certainly never heard of PP. I was so burnt out and exhausted by this point that I did eventually take an overdose to try to end it all.

My husband found me after I fainted and called an ambulance. The paramedics took me to hospital, but I was so out of it I kept trying to run away, to run back home. Eventually, someone from the mental health team came to speak to me and that was the big turning point for me.

That’s when they told me I was unwell, that I needed help, and that I could get better. Because I had tried to take my own life, I was admitted to an MBU (Mother and Baby Unit) but at this point nobody knew about my hallucinations and delusions as I kept it all to myself – so nobody knew I had PP.

After admitting to the hallucinations and delusions and getting the antipsychotic medication the psychosis started to recede really quickly.

As soon as I was admitted I was given sleeping pills and they worked wonders. However, they certainly didn’t cure me and it wasn’t until I finally admitted to the staff about my psychotic symptoms that I was given the right medication to get me on the road to recovery.

Still, it took a while to get fully better. I took so many medications, at one point I was taking 14 pills every day! My anxiety was sky high and I felt really overwhelmed and panicky and was unable to control the amount of oxygen I needed so I kept passing out.

But after admitting to the hallucinations and delusions and getting the antipsychotic medication the psychosis started to recede really quickly.

You hold back because you think your children will be taken away or you’ll be locked up forever, but for me, being honest was the turning point. Letting the health professionals in on what was really going on was the only way to get me well.

Now I’m recovered I want to share my story because I know how reassuring it is to meet others who have been through what you have. Motherhood is really hard anyway, but adding maternal mental illness into the mix makes things incredibly difficult. One thing I have learnt, however, is that your mind is really important and, if it needs rest, you need to let it rest. Plus, if you are becoming mentally unwell, the only real way out is by being honest about it and asking for help.

Before I was able to open up, I didn’t really socialise in the MBU, where I would stay for three months in total. But when I started speaking to the other mums in there and realising I wasn’t alone and I certainly wasn’t crazy, I started to feel so much better – speaking to others definitely helped me in my recovery. Now, I hope I can play a part in helping other women and families too.

28 April 2025

APP April 2025 Newsletter

Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week

Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week (MMHAW) runs from Monday 5th to Sunday 11th May. We’d love as many people as possible to get involved, raising awareness of postpartum psychosis (PP) to ensure anyone affected doesn’t feel alone and knows where they can turn to for help and support.

The theme for this year’s week, organised by the Perinatal Mental Health Partnership, is ’Your voice, your strength.’

Pregnancy and Postpartum Psychosis Awareness Day, #PPPAwarenessDay, is being marked on Friday 2nd May.

To find out more, follow @ActionOnPP on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn and TikTok. There are also details of some of the special events we’ve organised below.

Creative Writing – A Lived Experience Workshop with Laura Dockrill

To mark this year’s Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, we are delighted that Laura Dockrill, What Have I Done? author and Action on Postpartum Psychosis ambassador, is running another writing session for members of the APP network who have experienced PP.

You don’t need any writing experience to join and there will be no need for fancy vocabulary or incredible spelling and grammar skills. This is a chance for your heart and head to do some talking. So, leave that inner-critic and expectation behind. All you need is something to write with and on.

There’s more information and details of how to book this free event here.

Take on a Miles for Mums and Babies challenge for Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week (MMHAW)

To support MMHAW, we’re inviting APP supporters to take on a Miles for Mums and Babies challenge.

Taking part is simple - just pledge to walk, run or cycle and get sponsored to support APP’s work. You could aim to cover 10 miles, 20 miles, 500 miles or any other distance with a special significance for them: each mile reflects the journey mums, babies, partners and families travel to be together, whilst mums receive care in Mother and Baby Units (MBUs).

Thank you to everyone who has signed up already. We’re delighted to have so many people involved, with individuals and teams all over the UK running, walking, swimming, cycling and toddling hundreds of miles to raise awareness and funds.

Get inspired and find out more here or email fundraising@app-network.org.

Sign up for an APP café group during Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week (MMHAW)

Our regional peer support café groups for women and families affected by PP meet monthly and are a mixture of virtual sessions and face to face meet-ups. You can attend whether you are newly recovering or recovered many years ago. They are a social place to chat, support each other and share ideas about improving the future for others affected by PP.

If you are interested in joining our APP café groups – in Sussex & Hampshire, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Yorkshire, North East, Wales, Birmingham, Manchester, Lancashire & south Cumbria and London - please fill out this form or email app@app-network.org. New members are always welcome.

We also run a virtual peer group for dads and co-parents on the third Wednesday of every month for people who have supported a partner through PP. The next meeting is on 21st May. The next meeting of our Muslim women’s group is on 6th May. Our UK-wide, grandparents groups and LGBTQ+ families groups meet regularly through the year. If you would like to be on the mailing list for either of these groups, please email app@app-network.org.

You can find the dates of the next meet ups for all our café groups at the bottom of this newsletter and on our website here.

Essential knowledge for preventing maternal suicide webinar Save the date

The Alex Baish Memorial 2025 webinar will take place on Wednesday 8th October at 12pm.

This free webinar is open to frontline health professionals including GPs, midwives, health visitors and antenatal educators.

APP experts, women and families with lived experience and clinicians will highlight the early signs and symptoms of postpartum psychosis and discuss how frontline health professionals can work with perinatal mental health teams to prevent maternal suicides.

This will be the third in the webinar series. 6,438 health professionals have signed up in previous years. Of attendees, 93% rated the training as ‘excellent’; 7% rated it ‘good’ and 100% agreed they would change their practice as a result:

This has contributed to my learning and will help save lives.

A truly inspiring, emotional, educational and thought-provoking webinar with @ActionOnPP - it has been a privilege to attend, thank you to all involved.

Really well put together- the content, the speakers, the information sharing and all the research and evidence presented. This is exactly the type of training needed. The issue is too urgent to ignore and too desperate to not be passionate about.”

Please save the date - 8th October at 12pm.

Details of how to book your free place will be available soon.

APP’s Chief Executive joins the Charity Hall of Fame

We’re delighted to announce that Dr Jess Heron, APP’s Chief Executive, has been inducted into the Charity Hall of Fame, the first in the world to celebrate social pioneers and leading philanthropists. The Hall of Fame has been created to honour and celebrate individuals - from the past and the present - whose work has transformed communities and driven positive change

Twenty-two inductees have been selected for the inaugural Class of 2025, including Jess, who founded APP as a charity in 2010. The historic pioneers being inducted include Mary Seacole, the nurse who provided critical care during the Crimean War; Olaudah Equiano, writer and abolitionist; and Josephine Butler, a campaigner for women’s rights. Modern-day changemakers honoured include human rights defender Chris Abbott and Kris Hallenga, breast cancer activist and founder of CoppaFeel!

APP is the only UK charity - and one of just a few worldwide - dedicated to supporting mothers and families affected by postpartum psychosis (PP), a severe but treatable mental illness that begins following childbirth.

Jess enters the Hall of Fame as one of its ‘social pioneers’ for her leadership of APP, setting up groundbreaking peer support services, specialist training for health professionals, developing accessible patient information, setting up networks and collaborations to break the silence surrounding postpartum psychosis, and for facilitating vital research into PP. Jess said:

I am delighted and feel very privileged to be selected as a Hall of Fame inductee. Much has changed over the past two decades for families affected by postpartum psychosis. It has been a joy to work with so many impressive and dedicated staff and volunteers to improve care and change public perceptions of PP.

The 2025 Hall of Fame inductees were selected by an independent panel of charity and community experts from a long list of public nominations. Malcolm John, Chair of the Induction Panel said:

Selecting the inaugural Class of 2025 was no easy task, as we had an incredible and diverse range of nominees. However, these inductees truly shine a light on what it means to create lasting change. Their impact is felt not just in the UK, but across the world, and we are proud to honour their legacy.

You can read more here.

GSK IMPACT Awards 2025 - a sneak peek of APP’s film!

Members of the APP team have been filmed to create a video showcasing our work. The film will be shown at the GSK IMPACT awards ceremony in May.

We’re delighted to have been chosen as one of ten winners of this year’s prestigious awards.

Over the past few weeks, films about each winning charity have been made. APP’s filming took place in Oxford (pictured above), featuring our Chief Executive, Dr Jess Heron, Shaheda Akhtar from our Diverse Communities Outreach project and our Media Consultant, Lucy Nichol.

We also had a second day of filming at Ribblemere Mother and Baby Unit in Lancashire Jocelyn Ellams and Eli Davies, who provide peer support at the Unit, and Hannah Bissett, APP’s National NHS Contracts Coordinator, all hopped in front of the camera! See how they got on here.

Thank you to @themeetinghouseoxford and @wearelscft for helping to make the filming possible.

World Health Day: campaigning to prioritise women’s health and wellbeing

On World Health Day, APP joined with the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners to call for urgent action in maternal and newborn health. From pregnancy to postpartum, women and families deserve high-quality care, including specialist perinatal mental health support for those affected by postpartum psychosis.

This year’s World Health Day started a year-long campaign ‘Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures’, urging governments and the health community to ramp up efforts to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths, and to prioritise women’s longer-term health and well-being. You can read more about the World Health Day campaign here.

Did you know? Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK without a specialist Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) for mothers experiencing severe postnatal mental illness. This means women are separated from their babies to receive care. We’re campaigning to change this: #MumBabyTogetherNI. To find out more about our campaign for more Mother and Baby Units, visit here.

Add your voice to our campaigning work - join the APP Network here.

APP team away day

In March, the Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP) team held a team away day at the University of Oxford’s National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit.

As a home-working organisation, APP rarely has an opportunity to meet up in person. 24 of 28 members of APP staff were able to attend the day, which began with sessions from APP staff about their role in the organisation and priorities for 2025.

The day enabled us to reflect on the work we’ve done since the charity was set up and share ideas for the future. It was an excellent opportunity to celebrate APP’s recent GSK Kings Fund IMPACT award, celebrating health charities making a real difference in the UK.

We’d like to say a huge thank you to the Department of Health and Social Care Suicide Prevention Fund for supporting our staff away day, as well as Professor Fiona Alderdice and the team at the University of Oxford National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit for hosting us.

You can read more here.

Listen to the Breaking the Taboo podcast

APP Chief Executive, Dr Jess Heron, and National Training Coordinator, Sally Wilson, joined Theo Clarke on her Birth Trauma podcast, to talk about postpartum psychosis and our work.

The podcast included discussion about what postpartum psychosis is; treatment; Mother and Baby Units; the importance of peer support; wider impact on the family; baby bonding; resources and help for affected families; and raising awareness.

Jess and Sally really appreciated the chance to raise awareness of PP with Theo. You can listen to the podcast here.

Writing for wellbeing Q&A

On 27th March, 20 members of the APP network, all of whom have lived experience of PP, met with the author and podcaster Katherine May, for an online conversation (pictured above) about 'writing for wellbeing'.

Katherine is the author of the memoir books 'Wintering', 'Enchantment' and 'The Electricity of Every Living Thing'.

It was a really enlightening and helpful conversation. Katherine shared many insights and tips - including her experience of writing about her personal experiences, getting published, things to consider before sharing our writing publicly, her own process and routines with writing, and writing for our own wellbeing. She also gave us some writing prompts which we shared with the group afterwards.

A huge thank you to Katherine for sharing her valuable experience with us.

Q&A: Art, motherhood, and postpartum psychosis

Jenny Stevenson, APP’s National Peer Support Coordinator (online services) spoke to artist Lucy Cade about work which was featured in a recent exhibition.

Lucy’s artworks formed part of a mixed media exhibition at Waterside Arts, Manchester (18th January - 22nd February 2025). This was alongside the theatre performance ‘Who Is Your Mummy and Where Did She Go?’, with support from Action on Postpartum Psychosis.

The theatre show and exhibition explored stories of mothers who have lived experience of this still stigmatised mental illness and shed light on the work of those who seek to raise awareness and encourage more open conversations about maternal mental health.

You can read the full Q&A and see some of Lucy’s artwork here.

Fundraising

April and May are always some of the busiest months for our fundraisers and 2025 is no different! We’ve got so many amazing fundraisers out and about, taking on all sorts of events for APP.

Well done to Team Remy - assembled by Juliette - who took on the Brighton 10k and Brighton Marathon at the beginning of April to raise funds and awareness for APP - together they raised an incredible £10,000! Thank you Team Remy!

As well as Juliette’s team, we also had other runners representing APP on the big day, including Becky, Alex, James, Michelle and Rob. You can read more about all of them here. Our APP cheerleaders were out and about as well, providing much needed support from the sidelines! Thank you Rachel and Maria for being there for our runners.

On 11th April, APP supporter Emily made her way 26.2 miles around the beautiful streets of Paris, and raising an unbelievable £3,800 for a cause which means so much to her. Read more here.

Last weekend saw one of our biggest ever fundraising weekends, with supporters taking on challenges for APP all over the country, and beyond!

Elke, Kwame and their family team united in Belgium to take part in the biggest running event in the country - the Antwerp 10 Mile! Find out more about their challenge here.

In the North West, Perinatal Psychiatrist Ellie took on the fabulous Manchester Marathon - she’s raised an incredible £2,600 and counting - thank you Ellie! Read more about why Ellie chose to run for APP here.

In Glasgow, Kirsten represented APP in the 23 mile Kiltwalk - an amazing achievement. Kirsten wanted to take on this challenge for her sister Jodie, who had PP after the birth of her baby. Read more about Kirsten and add your support here.

And last but by no means least - our amazing TeamAPP London Marathon runners - Satpal, Sarah, Kate, Holly and Chay took to the streets of the capital for the world’s biggest fundraising event on Sunday. You can read all about each of them, their reasons for running and support them here.

There are so many fundraisers we need to wish good luck to for May too!

Mental Health Nurse Laura aka ‘The Purple Plodder’ is taking on an unbelievable 70mile Ultra Marathon along the Welsh coast, from the Maternity Unit at Ysbyty Gwynedd across North Wales to the Seren Lodge site at the Countess of Chester, raising money for APP and Awyr Las Gogledd Cymru - North Wales NHS Trust (perinatal mental health service). We all need to get behind her for this incredible challenge! Add your support here.

There’s an amazing team of 15 healthcare professionals from the Northern Health and Social Care Trust Perinatal Community Mental Health Team taking on the Belfast Half Marathon for APP on the 4th May. Such a brilliant team effort - read more and support them here.

A fabulous team from Little Green Rooms are taking part in the Bristol Half Marathon and Bristol 10k on the 11th May - find out more here.

Irene, Flor and Cristina are taking part in the Plymouth 5k on 11th May - Irene says friends Flor and Cristina were her rocks when she was ill with PP and they plan to run this together too. Read about their story here.

Lyndsay is taking on the Edinburgh Half Marathon for APP on the 24th May. She’s been doing her best to fit her training in around her two children because APP is a cause very close to her heart. Support Lyndsay here.

A massive thank you and the very best of luck to everyone who has signed up to be part of our Miles for Mums and Babies challenge this May too! Fundraisers include Emily in Northern Ireland who’s going to be walking 100 miles over the month, and the Andersen Ward MBU in Manchester who are back on board for another year. We can’t wait to hear what everyone is up to and it’s not too late if you want to join in too - find out more and sign up for free here.

Last chance to be part of our APP Adventure in June - there’s still time to sign up for our APP Adventure in June if you’d like to join us for our Mam Tor challenge! Register here if you want to be part of it.

Take part in the 2026 London Marathon

We couldn’t be more excited that we have managed to secure official places for APP runners in the 2026 London Marathon! After many years of relying on ballot place winners choosing to run for us, to finally have our own places is amazing. We will have 12 places in each London Marathon from 2026-2029.

We know there will be lots of interest in these places so have decided to implement an application process for anyone interested in taking part. You can find out more and access the application form and terms & conditions here. Applications are open until 25th May.

Don’t forget the main ballot is open now too, and it’s always worth applying through there too to maximise your chances of getting a place.

Good luck!

Dates for your diary

APP UK-wide virtual café group meet up, Wednesday 30th April

APP Lancashire and south Cumbria face to face café group meet up in Blackburn, Friday 2nd May

APP Birmingham face to face café group meet up, Friday 2nd May

Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, Monday 5th - Sunday 11th May

International Day of the Midwife, Monday 5th May

APP Muslim women’s virtual café group meet up, Tuesday 6th May

APP Lancashire and south Cumbria face to face café group meet up in Blackpool, Friday 9th May

Mental Health Awareness Week, Monday 12th - Sunday 18th May

APP Lancashire and south Cumbria virtual café group meet up, Monday 12th May

APP Manchester face to face café group meet up, Friday 16th May

APP Northern Ireland face to face café group meet up in Belfast, Friday 16th May

APP Lancashire and south Cumbria face to face café group meet up in Preston, Friday 16th May

APP London face to face café group meet up, Saturday 17th May

APP London virtual café group meet up, Monday 19th May

APP UK-wide virtual café group meet up, Tuesday 20th May

APP dads and co-parents virtual café group meet up, Wednesday 21st May

APP Lancashire and south Cumbria face to face café group meet up in Lancaster, Wednesday 21st May

APP Sussex and Hampshire virtual café group meet up, Thursday 22nd May

APP Yorkshire face to face café group meet up in York, Friday 23rd May

Global Day of Parents, Sunday 1st June

APP grandparents virtual café group meet up, Monday 2nd June

APP Muslim women’s virtual café group meet up, Friday 6th June

APP Birmingham face to face café group meet up, Friday 6th June

APP Wales face to face café group meet up, Saturday 7th June

APP Book Club virtual meeting, Thursday 19th June

APP Scotland face to face café group meet up in Edinburgh, Saturday 21st June

Contact information for all APP café groups is available here.

Events/conferences

Coventry and Warwickshire Perinatal Mental Health Awareness Walk, Sunday 4th May

Free entry to this family fun day featuring an inflatable and face painting at Pump Room Gardens, Leamington Spa between 11am and 3pm. The awareness walk will take place at 1pm. All welcome.

Annual Birth Trauma Summit, Tuesday 13^th May

Face to face event in London featuring speakers and workshops following the themes of “Back to Basics” and “Celebrating 10 years”. Live streams and recordings will also be available. More information and book tickets here.

Hearts and Minds Partnership national meet-up, Monday 19th May

Free meet-up day in Birmingham to connect, support and celebrate the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector in perinatal mental health. More information and book your place here.

The Perinatal Summit, Thursday 12th - Friday 13th June

Multidisciplinary conference in Birmingham to explore how the perinatal period is experienced, understood and improved. More information and ticket booking here.

Improving Perinatal Mental Health Services, Friday 27^th June

Online conference with presentations from expert speakers at local and national level. Learning from the most recent MBRRACE- UK Report and roadmap to strengthening perinatal mental health will be shared. Members of the APP network will receive a 20% discount with code hcuk20app. Book here.

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

Q&A with Lucy Cade: Art, motherhood, and postpartum psychosis

A conversation between artist Lucy Cade and Jenny Stevenson, APP’s National Peer Support Coordinator (online services). Lucy is a painter and educator. She has recently completed the Turps Offsite Studio Programme. She achieved an MA Fine Art at City & Guilds of London Art School in 2023.

Lucy Cade’s artworks were featured in a mixed media exhibition at Waterside Arts, Manchester (18 January - 22 February 2025). This was alongside the theatre performance ‘Who Is Your Mummy and Where Did She Go?’ by Company Four, with support from Action on Postpartum Psychosis.

Jenny: Your artwork is incredibly powerful. Could you tell us a little about what inspired you to create them?

Lucy: All the works in the show at Waterside come from a place of personal lived experience of altered states of consciousness such as psychosis. They also consider others’ reactions to these altered states - which for postpartum psychosis sufferers are luckily temporary and treatable. In my paintings, I engage with Surrealism and its link to the history of psychoanalysis. The psychotic experiences I have had, I think, could come from anyone's dreams - we all dream at some point, and sometimes these dreams are terrifying, so hopefully most people can relate to the paintings on that level. Some of the paintings relate to my experience of medical professionals and how, because of the nature of medicine, there is a lack of empathy or understanding of the whole person sometimes. I believe art and artmaking can address these ‘blind spots’. Throughout my episodes in hospital, I kept notebooks and sketchbooks near me, which were not always viewed favourably by my caregivers. However, I am glad I kept them because it now means I can share my experiences.

Jenny: What does it mean to you to have your work displayed in this exhibition?

Lucy: I was so excited when I heard about the open call being put out by Company Four MCR and APP. When I first started to make work about postpartum psychosis back in 2021, thanks to an Arts Council grant, I wished that such an opportunity and context would come up for showing the work. I am honoured to be involved and have works in the show that reflect the development of my postpartum psychosis paintings over the last four years.

Jenny: What role do you think creativity plays in healing and recovery from postpartum psychosis?

Lucy: Creativity definitely helps recovery - I can vouch for that. Whilst processing experiences through art can be painful and seeing things visualised still makes me feel some anguish, the externalisation and validation from others is powerful and necessary. Whatever art form this can happen through, it is worth exploring as a tool of recovery - poetry, music, art, theatre. And as they say, an experience shared is an experience halved - so that it doesn't overwhelm.

Jenny: If someone struggling with postpartum psychosis were to see your artwork today, what would you want them to take from it?Lucy: Something that helps them externalise what they've gone through and a realisation that there is a kind of beauty in it, and they're not alone. I've already had a few conversations with women who have been affected by the work, which is great.

Jenny: Thank you so much for sharing your experience and your work. It’s inspiring and will mean so much to so many people.

…

Follow Lucy Cade-Stewart on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucycadeartist/

Thank you to everyone who submitted their artwork for the exhibition.

If you have been affected by this post, need any support, or want to meet others affected by postpartum psychosis, please get in touch here.

27 April 2025

Run for APP in the 2026 London Marathon!

We're delighted to announce that APP has secured 12 places in the 2026 TCS London Marathon.

The TCS London Marathon is the world's most popular marathon, and the single biggest fundraising event on the planet. Taking place next year on 26th April, we're so excited APP is able to give you the chance to be part of it.

In the public ballot, more than 800,000 people apply each year for just 50,000 available places. We get many requests to run for APP, so we know interest will be high. Because of this, we're implementing an application procedure to ensure our limited places are allocated fairly, and that we have a team made up of people who are passionate about APP.

If you're interested, you can access the application form here.

Applications are open until 25th May and we'll let you know by 13th June if you have been successful.

There is a £100 registration fee to pay to secure your place, then we're asking our London Marathon runners to raise a minimum of £2,000 each. As with all our events, our team will be here to support you with your training and fundraising.

All APP runners will receive an APP running top, a marathon training guide produced by fitness experts Make Bold Choices, fundraising inspiration and supplies, and of course the all important APP medal and finishers goody bag! We'll also be there on the big day to cheer you on and celebrate with you at the finish line.

Whether you're a seasoned marathon runner, or you want a truly memorable experience for your first ever major event - if the London Marathon has always been on your wish list, now's your chance to give it a go.

We have places secured in the London Marathon each year until 2029, so even if you aren’t successful this time, or if maybe you need a bit longer to prepare - there will be a chance to apply for an APP place again the following year.