Tag Archives: fundraising

18 June 2024

Cee Jae's 12 hour gameathon for APP

APP supporter Cee Jae has been raising awareness and funds for APP via live streaming their xbox games to Twitch for a while, but now Cee Jae has decided to step up their efforts even further, and on 30th June they will be holding an epic one off, 12 hour non stop streaming event, during which they will also share snippets of their journey through postpartum psychosis, alongside their gaming community gang.

Cee Jae is passionate about raising awareness of PP and of APP and says: 'I received some very meaningful support from APP on recovering from postnatal psychosis myself back a few years ago, so this cause is crucial to me.'

Cee Jae has shared some photos with us, saying 'These are from the time when me and Henri were in the MBU and when he came to visit me with his grandmother when I was in acute wards during my time through PP.

The photo of me and him all grown up (main photo above) is us today, five years later, still healing from the memories myself and still making more beautiful memories with my little dude.

It really is an understatement when I say that I am passionate about spreading awareness. My experience fuels my desire to fundraise for your organisation.'

You can add your support for Cee Jae via JustGiving here.

Follow Cee Jae on their Twitch channel (username mush_roomgoblin)

They are promoting their fundraiser, and more details about their recovery from APP in their discord server too.

30th June also just happens to be Cee Jae's birthday - what a great way to celebrate! We're so grateful to you for choosing to spend your birthday doing this for APP!

13 June 2024

BBC Radio 4 Appeal Round Up

Thank you to everyone who supported APP’s BBC Radio 4 Appeal which was broadcast on 23rd March 2024.

It provided us with an incredible opportunity to reach new audiences, raise awareness of postpartum psychosis as well as APP, and raise vital funds to support our work.

The broadcast is still available to listen to here: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001xm04

The appeal aimed to raise funds and awareness, and reach people who had not heard of APP before.

Our ambassador, author Laura Dockrill presented the appeal, which focused on the importance of providing peer support. As part of the three minute broadcast, Laura shared some of her own PP story, and made a suggested donation ask of £34 which could enable APP to reach out to and support a new mum affected by PP.

All donations made to the appeal were matched by a generous donor.

Alongside the appeal we also successfully applied for an electronic billboard campaign with JC Decaux - this was live for four weeks during March 2024, with a focus on the BBC appeal for one week.

The appeal raised (with Gift Aid and match funding) £18,977. The average donation received was £43.

In addition to this, we also received approximately £8,500 from BBC Radio 4's general appeal fund - meaning the final total for the appeal was a fantastic £27,500. This will make a huge difference to the work we can do supporting mums and families affected by postpartum psychosis.

The impact of the appeal goes far beyond the donations though - the awareness raised will have even longer term effects for APP and the families we support:

Increased profile for APP - only 49 charities are chosen for BBC Radio 4 appeals each year.
Our electronic billboard campaign reached 16 million people across the UK.
MBUs and perinatal mental health teams across the country were invited to listen in, several did and some held listening parties and cake sales to mark the broadcast.
New people found APP - we received letters and emails from individuals who had been personally affected by PP.
The appeal and billboard campaign was shared by Maternal Mental Health Alliance, NCT, Royal College of Midwives, iHealthVisiting, Pandas UK and others.
Huge reach and lots of engagement on social media during the month of the appeal (158,000 reach, a 76% increase on the previous month!) including shares from Laura Dockrill, singer Paloma Faith, musician Hugo White, author Catherine Cho and others.
Anecdotal evidence of increase in referrals to local perinatal mental health teams.
Significant increase in number of new users on our forum.

Some quotes from donors:

‘I am giving a donation as I listen to the Radio 4 appeal - as it was something that happened in our family but was never talked about - our great grandmother died in an asylum in 1901 having been admitted following the birth of my grandmother in 1900. Last year I went to read the medical notes in the public record offices - she was an inmate for a harrowing 10 months, her behaviour - she believed her body was not her own and wished it destroyed - all meticulously recorded by the staff. Sadly she died of an unrelated infection. My grandmother never had a mother. So to find out your charity exists is a good thing. Good luck with your future.’

‘I’m so glad you're raising awareness about this. My mother was a sufferer’

‘I follow Laura Dockrill on Instagram and I saw she had posted about the campaign on Radio 4, which is why I have donated. I know two people who have a suffered from postpartum psychosis and after going through peri and post natal depression myself, I’m so grateful charities such as APP exist. Keep up the good work!’

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Thank you to everyone for getting involved, donating, sharing our social media posts, holding events and using this appeal as a way to start new conversations about PP and maternal mental health.

6 June 2024

Miles for Mums and Babies 2024

A massive thank you to everyone who has taken part in our 2024 Miles for Mums and Babies challenge so far. We have been so inspired by the number of supporters getting involved and amazed by all the different ways you've come up with to complete your miles - from roller skating to swimming to cycling and dancing, and of course lots of running and walking too.

Here's a round up of some of our Miles for Mums and Babies stars of 2024...

Team Challenges

We love it when teams of healthcare professionals decide to take on a challenge for us. We know how much work goes into these and we’re so grateful for your support!

The Margaret Oates MBU (Mother and Baby Unit) in Nottingham took part in Miles for Mums and Babies for the second year in a row raising nearly £500. This year they covered 365 miles - the physical journey between the Nottingham MBU and Belfast in support of APP’s campaign to raise awareness of the urgent need to a MBU in Northern Ireland.

The team at The Beeches MBU in Derbyshire decided to go for a massive 1240 miles, raising an incredible £1,270. They chose this number as their MBU opened in 1993 and on average they help 40 families a year so it was one mile for every mum or family The Beeches has supported since opening. They covered their miles on team walks, lots of dog walks, got some of the mums they are supporting involved and had a great time.

The Andersen MBU in Manchester initially planned to go for 500 miles but after a flying start they soon upped their target to 750 and ended their challenge on an amazing 951 miles! They've raised an excellent £100 so far and have other events in the pipeline - look out for three of their team taking part in the Manchester Half marathon later this year! Some of the team also took part in our APP team tutu walk in Manchester in May – thank you so much for joining us on the day and supporting the APP team.

The North Wales Perinatal Team each walked, ran, cycled or swam 141 miles throughout the month of May, representing the distance from South Stack on Anglesey to Ribbelemere MBU in Chorley. They say: 'This is where we admit women most often for the highest level of support when they become unwell in the perinatal period. While the support they receive is undoubtedly to a high standard it is a long way for women to be away from their homes and families while they recover.' The team raised a fantastic £350 through their challenge and say they loved being part of it for the second year in a row!

The fab folk at the Suffolk Perinatal Mental Health team walked 1400 miles between them over the month – to raise awareness of the number of new mums who are diagnosed with postpartum psychosis each year. Across a number of different fundraising pages, they raised an amazing total of £2,220 - incredible work! Thank you.

A big group from the Humber Perinatal Mental Health Liaison Team all chose to cover 99km each during May to raise awareness, foster empathy, and generate vital funds to ensure that individuals facing PP receive the support they need. And they did indeed raise an amazing amount - £1,300! Thank you so much - a huge achievement.

A big thank you to all the teams taking part this year!

Individuals

Several of our individual fundraisers are back for their second year - Lisa and her lovely friends completed a five hour walk, raising £1,000 in the process; and amazing Becky chose to repeat her epic 5k a day in May challenge for the second time! Kayleigh and her husband Dave loved their challenge last year so much that they decided to do it again this year, this time walking 27 miles in a single day - the distance from their house in Sunderland to the MBU in Morpeth.

Big congratulations too go to our new Miles for Mums and Babies challengers including Karin who walked a massive 38 miles in a day; Hannah, who ran 50 miles in May; friends Carly and Jessica who raised nearly £1000 between them doing 5k a day; Sarah who walked 300 miles in a month, including a very wet climb up Mount Snowdon; Hannah, a perinatal mental health practitioner in Northern Ireland who ran 50k in May; Nia in Wales who completed 60 miles; Tegan, also in Wales, who aimed for 50 miles but finished on 58! Some challenges are still in progress, including Nicola who is swimming 17 miles - representing the distance her husband had to travel to visit her when she was unwell.

Gwen deserves an extra special shout out as our single biggest Miles for Mums and Babies fundraiser this year - raising over £4,000 with her 96 mile walk - an unbelievable achievement.

Kate is also taking on the challenge for the first time this year, she's in the process of walking 100 miles during May and June and has given us this update: 'I am really enjoying my walking. On about 70 miles now. I have been able to make lots of people aware of PP and the difference to postnatal depression which everyone has heard of! I still can’t believe that so many have never heard of it. So pleased to actually do something positive to help you after 34 years of my first episode.'

So many of our fundraisers have bravely shared their own stories of their experiences of postpartum psychosis, helping to raise awareness and understanding of the illness.

A huge thank you to every single fundraiser who has taken part so far this year, and to every donor who has supported them. The funds raised will go a really long way to helping us support even more mums and families affected by postpartum psychosis.

If you're feeling inspired by all this incredible activity, it's never too late to get involved - you can take on a Miles for Mums and Babies challenge whenever you want to - just drop Fliss an email and she'll help you come up with a plan! Or alternatively you could take on an organised challenge - we have access to places in all sorts of events all over the country - find out more here.

14 May 2024

Double your donation with Kind2Mind

Double the donation, double the impact

Action on Postpartum Psychosis are delighted to have been chosen to be part of another Big Give match funding campaign. Our Big Give Kind2Mind campaign starts today, Tuesday 14th May, as part of national Mental Health Awareness Week.

This means that from noon on 14th May to noon on 28th May, every donation we receive via our campaign page on The Big Give website (www.bit.ly/APPBigGive2024) will be doubled, thanks to match funding from The Big Give.

So, if you’d like to donate to APP over the next fortnight, we would be so grateful – and your donation would have DOUBLE the impact – you donate £5, APP will receive £10; you donate £25, APP receives £50 and so on.

Our target for the month is to reach £2,500 in donations – which would mean a total of £5,000 raised.

Our target of £5,000 could help us significantly increase our offer of help and support for families affected by postpartum psychosis (PP) - a treatable medical emergency that affects around 1400 women in the UK each year.

When a mum is diagnosed with PP, the impact of the illness on her loved ones can be significant, and we want to be there for them. We provide one-to-one support and dedicated café groups for dads, co-parents and grandparents and vital information when they need it most.

Will you donate today and get your donation doubled?

We're so grateful for your support – every single donation we receive really does make a big difference to the work we do.

If you aren’t able to donate at the moment, we totally understand – but please do share our campaign with others if you can.

That link again is www.bit.ly/APPBigGive2024 - only donations through that page will be doubled. You'll also find shareable posts on our social media feeds over the next couple of weeks.

Now could also be a great time to think about holding a Big Bake event! Find out more here...

1 May 2024

Miles for Mums and Babies 2024

APP's 2024 Miles for Mums and Babies challenge kicks off today, 1st May, World Maternal Mental Health Day.

With more people than ever before already signed up, we're so excited to see and hear how everyone gets on with their challenges.

There are whole teams on board from many MBUs and perinatal mental health teams including the Margaret Oates MBU in Nottingham, The Beeches MBU in Derby, the Andersen Ward in Manchester, the BCUHB team in North Wales, the Suffolk Perinatal Mental Health team and the Humber Perinatal Mental Health Liaison team. The teams will be covering thousands of miles between them - walking, running, cycling, swimming and more - we're really looking forward to all your updates!

Lots of individuals are taking part across the UK too - including Lisa who will be completing a five hour walk with a group of friends, Hannah - aiming to run 50k in May, Kate who's planning 100 miles in a month and Carly, who along with friends, is going to cover 5k a day in May. These are just a few of our amazing fundraisers getting involved this month - we'll be celebrating all of them throughout this month so keep an eye on our website and social media for updates.

Thank you to everyone who has already signed up, and to all those supporting them. You really are making a difference.

And it's definitely not too late to get involved if you'd still like to join our amazing team of Miles for Mums and Babies fundraisers - you can get going with a challenge any time you like - we focus our challenge in May as part of Maternal Mental Health Awareness week, but you're welcome to pick any time that suits you.

Find out more, and receive your free Miles for Mums and Babies pack by emailing fundraising@app-network.org or completing this short form.

17 April 2024

Go #TeamAPP! Introducing our 2024 TCS London Marathon runners

We're so excited to have four fabulous runners taking part in the world famous TCS London Marathon this year.

On Sunday 21st April, APP supporters Lauren-Nicole, Rebecca, Luke and Lee will be lining up alongside 40,000 runners as part of this epic event.

Lauren-Nicole is an award winning writer and actress who is passionate about raising awareness of PP. Her play BABYNUN XO follows the stories of five sisters as one explores the impact of PP which unites and fractures them further. You can read more about Lauren-Nicole here.

Lauren-Nicole is a first time marathon runner. She says: 'I know if I think about the reason I am running and the charity I am raising money for it will absolutely keep me strong and get me through the tough times.”

Add your support for Lauren-Nicole here

Rebecca is a real inspiration, having gone from being a total beginner runner to her first marathon! She started last summer with a 'Couch to 5km' and this weekend she'll be lining up for the most famous marathon in the world. She says:

'When I got a ballot place in the marathon, I knew which cause I wanted to support. 12 years ago, I hadn’t heard of postpartum psychosis. Following the birth of my first daughter and ‘out of the blue,’ I experienced an episode of postpartum psychosis. After the birth of my second daughter in 2014 I stayed well and had no recurrence of PP. Raising awareness about this illness is crucial to ensure timely intervention and support for the mums and families affected. With your help we can support even more women and families affected by PP, break down stigma and raise awareness.'

Add your support for Rebecca here

Luke is taking on the London Marathon as his way of giving something back. He says:
'Running the London Marathon to support my sister-in-law and raise funds / awareness for Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP), the charity for mums and families affected by postpartum psychosis. Every step counts in our journey to raise awareness and support those affected. This charity has, and currently is, supporting my family, so I want use this opportunity to give something back.
Please give what you can afford. They are a relatively small UK based charity, so every penny truly counts.'

Add your support for Luke here

Lee is a familiar face to APP supporters, having already taken on more than a dozen challenges to raise funds and awareness over the last 18 months. The London Marathon is a bucket list dream for him and the icing on the cake for us!

You can read more about all of Lee's amazing fundraising adventures, and add your support for his final event, here

Training for a marathon is a huge commitment in both time and effort, and we want to say a massive thank you to all our runners - we're in awe of what they have achieved. We hope they all have a brilliant day and wear their medals with pride at the finish line!

If you happen to be in London this Sunday, do look out for #TeamAPP and give them all a huge cheer as they run past!

As APP has been unable to obtain any charity places in the London Marathon for a few years, all our runners this year secured their own places through the general public ballot or via other routes. We're so grateful to all of them for choosing to support us in this way.

We would love to have APP runners in the 2025 London Marathon - the public ballot opens on Saturday 20th April - so if you're feeling inspired, why not try your luck and see if you can score a place then run for us - you can submit an entry request here.

16 April 2024

Award-winning Blackpool writer runs London Marathon to raise awareness of postpartum psychosis

Blackpool writer and actress, Lauren-Nicole Mayes, is about to take on her biggest challenge yet as she gears up for Sunday’s London Marathon in aid of the national perinatal mental health charity, Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP).

Born and bred in Blackpool, Lauren broke into the world of writing having noticed a lack of stories representing the working-class women who raised her. Her first play BABYNUN XO premiered at The Lowry as part of a research and development week, following the story of Isabella and Mike and explored the impact of postpartum psychosis (PP) in all of it’s hilarity vs despair mentality. The piece has since developed as a TV idea and follows the stories of five sisters as one explores the impact of PP which unites and fractures them further. It has been picked up by It’s All Made Up Prod and now has a broadcaster attached.

Lauren said: “When I was researching Babynun XO I spent a huge amount of time speaking to APP’s community of women and families affected by postpartum psychosis – a serious postpartum mental illness that affects around 1,400 women each year. I saw first-hand how vital the charity is when it comes to helping people recover from this devastating illness, and I can’t think of a better cause to fundraise for.”

Postpartum psychosis affects 1-2 in every thousand births in the UK and it can occur completely out of the blue in women with no previous mental health problems. Symptoms include extreme elation or euphoria, sudden mood changes and the rapid onset of unusual beliefs. Women may also experience visual and auditory hallucinations, extreme confusion and anxiety. It’s a serious illness that should always be considered a medical emergency, however, most women do go on to make a full recovery with the right treatment and support. In the Blackpool area, APP runs in-person peer support ‘café groups’ as well as providing one-to-one peer support for families affected by PP.

Lauren has been training hard for the past few months in order to take on this significant challenge, something she has had on her bucket list for several years. She said: “I’ve never really considered myself a serious runner before deciding to take on the London Marathon. I used to run 5km and park runs, but since signing up to the Marathon it has become all-consuming. I can’t believe I am now running 30 kilometres on a Saturday each week!

“You can become so fixated on the end goal, but the training in itself, both from a physical and psychological point of view, is a marathon in its own right. It’s safe to say I’m feeling nervous but I keep reminding myself that I am limitless, and I know if I think about the reason I am running and the charity I am raising money for it will absolutely keep me strong and get me through the tough times.”

In 2023 Lauren was selected for BBC Writers Room: Northern Voices where she developed her ideas for TV. More recently, she was chosen as one of the final two writers for the inaugural regional Breakthrough Writers Programme by WARP Films for her original series idea SHIT.GOD.SHIT which was also a stage play.

Felicity Lambert, APP’s National Fundraising Co-ordinator said: “We are all in awe at Lauren’s commitment and passion for fundraising for APP. Running a marathon is no mean feat, and we know that she will not only do us proud on the day, but she has also been raising lots of awareness for the charity and for postpartum psychosis more broadly in the run up as well. We are so grateful for all her support – both in terms of her fundraising efforts and of course the stories she is telling on stage and screen. The more people who know about postpartum psychosis, the more quickly women can be diagnosed and the more lives can be saved.”

Lauren is aiming to raise £1000 for APP by taking part in the London Marathon.
To support her, visit her fundraising page

1 April 2024

APP's big weekend of running!

This weekend sees 10 APP fundraisers taking to the streets, covering over 200km between them, taking part in events from Paris to Fleetwood!

Brighton Marathon

We have three amazing runners taking on the Brighton Marathon this Sunday - Mollie, Chris and Gen.

Mollie is an experienced APP fundraiser, having already taken part in the Hackney Half for us last year.
She is supporting APP after one of her best friends suffered from PP after the birth of her son. She's been training hard and we can't wait to see how she gets on!
Add your support for Mollie here.

Chris is running in Brighton after attending an event last year where he learnt about postpartum psychosis and the affect it can have on families.
Chris has been keeping a close track of all his training and has an impressive number of stats under his belt:

Week one of training - Monday 18th Dec
Total runs completed - 60
Total miles run - 403
Total elevation - 11674 ft
Total time running - 66 hours 34 mins
Approx Calories 53,325

Add your support for Chris here.

Gen is passionate about supporting and raising awareness of women's mental health issues.
Through fundraising for the Brighton Marathon, Gen has found many people have been in touch who have been affected by PP or other mental health issues.
Add your support for Gen here.

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Paris Marathon

James is our first ever Paris Marathon runner - he's running in memory of one of his sister's closest friends, who lost her life to PP.
He wants to raise awareness of PP and help prevent anyone else going through this in future.
Add your support for James here.

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London Landmarks

Sisters Rosie & Lillie chose to take on the London Landmarks Half Marathon this weekend because Rosie spent time in hospital with postpartum mental health issues after the birth of her baby.
They really want to raise awareness and help other families affected.
Support the sisters here.

Sarah is taking part in the London Landmarks after hearing about our place through a friend at her running club and is aiming for a sub 2 hour marathon this weekend!
Add your support for Sarah here.

Jenna has had a long run up to the London Landmarks - having originally signed up to take part in 2023, she was forced to withdraw due to injury. But Jenna was determined not to be defeated and has trained hard ready for the challenge this year.
Add your support for Jenna here.

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Rutland Half

Ollie is taking on the Rutland Half to mark 10 years since his wife experienced PP after the birth of their daughter.
APP were there to support both him and his wife, and he wants to raise funds so we can be there to support other families.
Add your support for Ollie here.

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Fleetwood 10k

For Matt, the Fleetwood 10k this weekend is just the first of several events he is taking on in 2024 as part of his fitness and fundraising challenge for APP.
Find out more about what he has planned for the year.
Add your support for Matt here.

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Feeling inspired by all of these incredible fundraisers? Fancy taking on your own challenge for APP?

We have lots of ideas here, or you could join in with our Miles for Mums and Babies challenge this May!

Email fundraising@app-network.org if you'd like more info or want to get involved.

14 March 2024

BBC Radio 4 Appeal

BBC Radio 4 will broadcast an appeal on behalf of Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP) later this month.

APP Ambassador and author, Laura Dockrill, will present the broadcast, sharing her experience of postpartum psychosis (PP) following the birth of her son. Laura describes how she spent her first Mother’s Day in a psychiatric hospital separated from her three-week old baby and how APP’s peer support helped her find connection, recovery and community.

BBC Radio 4 appeals are weekly three-minute programmes which highlight the work of charities and appeal for donations on their behalf. Only 49 charities from across the UK are selected to make an appeal each year and APP is delighted to be part of the 2024 programme.

APP’s appeal will be broadcast live on Sunday 24^th March at 7.54 am and at 9.25pm. It will then be repeated on Thursday 28^th March at 3.27pm.

Dr Jess Heron, APP Chief Executive, says: “The BBC Radio 4 charity appeal is an incredible opportunity for us to raise the profile of APP on a national scale, as well as really help to raise awareness of postpartum psychosis. We want to reach as many people as possible – and we’d love our supporters to spread the word and encourage family, friends and colleagues to listen.”

To find out more, visit the Radio 4 Appeal webpage. Please note, you can only donate to this appeal via the BBC web page from 24th-30th March.

The first £25,000 received in donations will be matched by a generous APP supporter, meaning donations will go twice as far.

2 January 2024

Emily and Adam skydive for APP!

Two wonderful staff members from The Beeches Mother and Baby Unit in Derby are getting 2024 off to a flying start with a skydive on Friday 12th January!

Emily and Adam are bravely taking on this challenge to raise raise awareness of postnatal mental illness.

Adam says: “Ever since graduating as a mental health nurse and beginning my career on The Beeches MBU I’ve been passionate about improving services and support to people going through mental health crises in the postpartum period.

I have seen first hand the impact that prompt care and support has on recovery rates. Additionally my friend and skydive partner Emily had her own journey with postpartum psychosis and I know how helpful APP and community services were for her.

I’m keen to help in any way that I can; so a sponsored skydive seemed the perfect way to do it! “

Emily herself experienced postnatal mental illness after the birth of her baby in 2020. She has gone on to train to become a support worker, helping other mums who are going through difficult times. She says: “After being a service user myself and working on The Beeches Mother and Baby Unit as a Support Worker, I’ve seen both personally and professionally the impact that care has on recovery. My personal experience has given me this intense drive to make a difference in services as I know first hand how scary the postnatal period can be.”

'Postnatal mental illness is so terrifying and at the time you don’t see any kind of light after dark, everything is just tunnel vision and I’ve never felt sadness and fear like it. The sadness of not wanting to be here and not enjoying this motherhood dream that everyone talks about, not enjoying anything in life, feeling like a burden and like you’re not worthy of being a parent, but honestly, it DOES change.'

You can read more of Emily's beautifully written story about her experiences, and add your support for her and Adam's jump on their GoFundMe page.

Good luck Emily and Adam!

Brighton Marathon

Paris Marathon

London Landmarks

Rutland Half

Fleetwood 10k

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