APP March 2026 Newsletter
Happy Mother's Day
The APP team would like to wish you a very happy Mother’s Day for Sunday.
It’s not too late to support APP when buying your Mother's Day cards at Making A Difference Cards. You can send e-cards, personalise with photos, names and even games! Browse a huge selection and buy here. Every card purchased gives a donation to APP.
We know Mother’s Day can be difficult, especially for anyone in a Mother and Baby Unit and their loved ones. It’s not always easy to remember, but mums get better from postpartum psychosis - read our Ambassador, Laura Dockrill’s story of her first Mother’s Day in hospital, and her recovery here.
For anyone who finds the day difficult or are remembering mums who are no longer with us, our trained peers are here to support you. APP’s volunteers are on the forum every day of the year, or you can request email or video call support here.
We are recruiting: Head of Information Technology and Digital Transformation
We’re looking for an experienced IT and Digital Transformation Lead with a track record in digital project management, of implementing IT and CRM systems, and of developing digital transformation strategies.
This is a new, senior-level position. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing and implementing an information technology and digital transformation strategy that improves APP’s operational efficiency.
The successful candidate will be a professional who can think strategically about the future while being hands-on with systems and IT infrastructure. An understanding of CRM systems, data security, regulatory compliance, and cloud-based workspaces especially for UK charities, is vital. The role offers the opportunity to make a significant difference in a well-regarded national charity during a period of growth.
For more information, see our website. The deadline for applications is Sunday 22nd March.
Mothers for Mothers report launched
APP’s Chief Executive, Dr Jess Heron, attended the launch of the Mothers for Mothers report in Parliament in February.
‘This Is Our Truth: A Grassroots Call to Reimagine Perinatal Mental Health Care’ highlights the gaps in specialist support experienced by tens of thousands of people living with perinatal mental illness each year - and calls for better funding of voluntary sector organisations delivering ‘on the ground’ life-saving support.
800 individuals as well as 56 voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations - including APP - contributed to the report, which was delivered to Downing Street by Mothers for Mothers CEO Maria Viner (pictured above). You can read the full report here.
Spring North awards
We’re delighted that APP has been shortlisted in the Impact category of the Spring North VCFSE awards for our team’s work supporting mums and families affected by PP and severe postnatal mental illnesses across Lancashire and South Cumbria, including Ribblemere Mother & Baby Unit. Huge congratulations to our team for all their hard work. The overall winners will be announced at a ceremony in June.
Find out more about how APP works with NHS Trusts here. You can read more about the Spring North awards here.
Launch of RCPsych’s position statement on menopause and mental health
Earlier this month, The Royal College of Psychiatrists launched its first ever position statement on menopause and mental health. The statement highlights concerns about stigma that stops women accessing support, poor understanding among employers, research knowledge gaps, and a lack of education among healthcare professionals.
Women who have had PP and/or bipolar disorder may be at higher risk of depression, anxiety, mania and (more rarely) psychosis during perimenopause and menopause. We know much more awareness and research is needed in this important area. APP welcomes the RCPsych’s position statement, which emphasises the need for improvements to the policies, education, care and support.
You can read more details about the position statement here. There’s more information about postpartum psychosis and the menopause on our website.
APP is working with a number of research teams to develop evidence in this area. Look out for our menopause cafe group coming up on Wednesday 29th April 12.30-1.30pm, led by Dr Clare Dolman, where we’ll discuss what is known about menopause management and key questions and issues for our community - so we can work on up to date advice for our website.
National maternity and neonatal investigation - please share your experiences!
A national call for evidence to help shape the future of maternity and neonatal care in England is open until 17th March 2026. Your voice matters. And right now, it can help shape the future of maternity and neonatal care in England.
Baroness Amos has launched a national Call for Evidence, inviting women, families and support networks to share their real experiences of maternity and neonatal services.
Why is this so important? Policies, standards, and improvements are strongest when they listen to lived experience. Personal accounts reveal where care and support works, where it falls short, and where change is urgently needed. Whether your experience was positive, challenging, or somewhere in between, we’d like postpartum psychosis experiences to be represented in the data.
This Call for Evidence is now open until 17th March 2026, and there are two surveys:
- One for women and people who have been pregnant to share their own experiences of maternity and neonatal care.
- One for partners, fathers, family members, friends, or others who supported someone through pregnancy and birth.
APP will be submitting an organisational response outlining the importance of access to Mother and Baby Unit care, better PP education for health professionals, access to specialist PP peer support, addressing inequalities, and the importance of national strategic oversight of perinatal mental health care. This is a real opportunity to be heard and help shape better and safer care and support for future families.
You have a few more days to get involved here.
Please take part in a study to help our understanding of perinatal mental health
APP is supporting the Mothers and Mental Health (MaM) study with the National Centre for Mental Health. We are trying to understand more about the causes and triggers of severe mental illness during pregnancy and following childbirth.
The study is open to anyone over 18 who has given birth. It will not only help us understand more about severe mental illness in the postpartum period but also help us test our postpartum psychosis research assessment tool. We need more people to get involved, even if they have never experienced a postpartum mental illness, in order to make sure it is accurate and precise.
Already taken part in this study? We'd love to hear from you! Health and Care Research Wales (who are funding the study) would like to put together a blog post to help encourage others to take part. If you have participated in the survey and might be happy to share your experience of this, please get in touch: app@app-network.org.
Miles for Mums and Babies 2026
Miles for Mums and Babies is back for 2026 and we need you to join us for what we hope will be our biggest year of challenges ever! Help us raise vital funds so we can be there for even more mums and families who need us.
With Miles for Mums and Babies, it's entirely up to you what challenge you take on - you choose how and when you want to complete your miles, how many you want to do.
Lots of people choose a number that means something to them - so if they or a family member have been affected by PP, then they might choose the number of miles they had to travel to an MBU or how many days they were treated for - or you can pick another number - whatever you want.
Then you complete the miles however you want - in the past people have run, walked, swum, cycled, toddled, rollerskated and paddleboarded - or a mix! And you can do it all in one day, or over a week, a month or longer. Get together with friends, family or work colleagues too and make it a team challenge if you like - work together to complete the miles!
There are lots of ideas of challenges other people have taken on on our Miles for Mums news page from last year and the year before if you want to have a look.
Alternatively if you'd rather take on an organised challenge - check out our challenge pages here.
Complete our Miles for Mums & Babies registration form and Fliss will be in touch with more info and inspiration if you need it.
The Big Bake
With Maternal Mental Health Week coming up in May, it could be the perfect opportunity to get friends, family, or colleagues together for an awareness raising Big Bake for APP!
Plan an afternoon tea, a workplace bake sale, themed cake decorating competition or a picnic in the park and help raise funds and awareness for APP at the same time.
For a bit of inspiration, check out supporter Annie’s gingerbread mums and babies video.
Get your FREE Big Bake pack (including some of the APP team's favourite recipes!) by emailing fundraising@app-network.org. We can't wait to hear about what you have planned!
Fabulous Fundraisers
Chester 10k: Well done to Scott and Rachel (above) who took part in the Chester 10k on 9th March! They chose to run for APP because Scott's wife, and Rachel’s best friend, Penny, had PP in 2020. We were especially excited to have them represent APP in Chester as the route of the 10k went very close to the brand new Mother and Baby Unit which opened there at the end of December. When Penny had PP she had to travel all the way to Stafford to receive MBU support, so this new Chester Unit means a lot to them.
Rachel's been fundraising in lots of different ways, including support from her sister's pub, The Wharf in Manchester. Find out more about Rachel's story and support her here.
For Scott, this is really just the warm up, as he's also planning to take on the Chester Half Marathon later in the year too! Rachel and Scott, thank you so much for all you’re doing for APP.
Bath Half: We're so excited to have Dan (above) representing APP in the Bath Half Marathon on 15th March. Dan was one of the student volunteers looking after APP at the Kings Fund/GSK Awards Ceremony last year. He was so moved by what he heard that he decided to take on this amazing challenge for us. Dan says: 'Last year, I had the amazing opportunity to meet some of the people behind APP, and it hit me how little awareness there is around something so serious. Hearing real stories from families who’ve been through it made me realise just how frightening and isolating it can be'.
Do add your support for Dan here and wish him lots of luck! Thank you Dan - we're all cheering you on!
London & Manchester Marathon Cheerleaders wanted! 
We have runners representing APP in both the London and Manchester Marathons this year and we’d love to have as many supporters cheering them on in person as possible!
The dates are:
Manchester - Sunday 19th April
London - Sunday 26th April
There will be an amazing atmosphere at both events and you can be part of it! If you’d like to join our cheer team on either day, contact Fliss on fundraising@app-network.org for more details.
Thank you to Astorg Philanthropy Investments, represented and managed by Fondation Roi Baudouin whose employees across Europe voted for APP to receive an incredible €30,000. This donation will help us to develop our peer support café groups and train new peer support volunteers to enable us to be there for even more families in 2026.
APP Training: Best Practice Care in Postpartum Psychosis
APP training equips health professionals with the essential skills and knowledge to recognise and manage postpartum psychosis. 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. For MBU and Perinatal Mental Health Teams who are already receiving APP training, new starters can book on to our online training free for the next 18 months. APP also runs 1-hour specialist lunch sessions for MBUs on topics like “Working with Peer Supporters”.
To find out more or book APP training for your team, contact: training@app-network.org.
In the media
APP Ambassador, Laura Dockrill, shared her PP experience in the BBC video and podcast, Ready to Talk with Emma Barnett. Laura also joined Paloma Faith on her Mad, Sad, Bad podcast. You can listen to the episode here.
APP volunteer Lizzy and Dr Jess Heron highlighted concerns about women with PP having to travel long distances from home for MBU care in a BBC article. Lizzy’s story was also featured on BBC Yorkshire.
APP volunteer Jade shared her experience of PP with Happy Mum Happy Baby. Jade also spoke to Birthbabe magazine, along with APP Chief Executive Dr Jess Heron.
Irene's Ghost, a film supported by APP, is now available to stream on Disney Plus in the UK and EU. It's also available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime, YouTube and others. The film is a moving part-documentary, part-animation, following Iain Cunningham’s search to find out about the mother he never knew. It examines the intricacies of family life, the things we don't discuss, and the inter-generational impacts of stigma surrounding PP.
Did you know that APP works with journalists and content creators? If you’re covering stories about postpartum psychosis, we’re here to help. APP can:
• Provide accurate, evidence-based information about postpartum psychosis
• Connect you with women and families who have lived experience (with consent and support)
• Offer expert comment from clinicians and researchers
• Support you to report sensitively and reduce stigma
Responsible reporting helps save lives and break the silence around this treatable medical emergency. Contact us: media@app-network.org.
Evaluation of APP peer support at Mother and Baby Unit: first findings released
Preliminary findings from the RAPPORT study into APP’s peer support embedded in Mother and Baby Units were presented at a special event in Birmingham earlier this month.
The study, led by the Care Policy and Evaluation Centre (CPEC) at The London School of Economics, is assessing APP-provided peer support at three Mother and Baby Units in England (Lancashire, Birmingham and Manchester).
In a presentation at the Three NIHR Research Schools’ Mental Health Programme Showcase, the research team explored:
- How APP peer support shapes recovery for women and birthing people within Mother and Baby Units.
- The journey to becoming a Peer Supporter, and how this role influences longer-term recovery.
- What Mother and Baby Units need to deliver peer support safely, effectively, and sustainably.
An online webinar is being planned to share findings from the RAPPORT Study and discuss the conditions needed to optimise peer support delivery in MBUs. Find out more here.
New stories from our volunteers
“You feel so alone when you’re in the midst of PP, but you are not, I promise.
And you can, and will, recover.”
Our volunteers share their experiences of postpartum psychosis to help raise awareness of PP and campaign for improved services.
Thank you to Lizzy and Kayleigh whose stories have recently been added to our website.
Dates for your diary
Mother’s Day (UK), Sunday 15th March
APP Lancashire and south Cumbria face to face café group meet up in Lancaster, Wednesday 18th March
APP dads and co-parents virtual café group meet up, Wednesday 18th March
APP UK wide virtual café group meet up, Thursday 19th March
APP Lancashire and south Cumbria face to face café group meet up in Preston, Friday 20th March
World Storytelling Day, Friday 20th March
APP London face to face café group meet up, Saturday 21st March
APP Wales face to face café group meet up in Wrexham, Saturday 21st March
World Poetry Day, Saturday 21st March
APP London virtual café group meet up, Monday 23rd March
APP neurodivergent peer support virtual café group meet up, Tuesday 24th March
APP Muslim women’s virtual café group meet up, Thursday 26th March
APP Black women’s virtual café group meet up, Friday 27th March
APP Birmingham face to face café group meet up in Sutton Coldfield, Friday 27th March
APP Manchester face to face café group meet up in Stockport, Friday 27th March
World Bipolar Day, Monday 30th March
World Health Day, Tuesday 7th April
APP Lancashire and south Cumbria virtual café group meet up, Monday 13th April
APP dads and co-parents virtual café group meet up, Wednesday 15th April
APP Menopause virtual cafe group, Wednesday 29th April. More information to follow soon
APP LGBTQ+ virtual café group meet-up, Thursday 30th April
Contact information for all APP café groups is available here.
Conferences and events
Black Maternal Health Conference UK 2026, Friday 20th March
In person and online conference run by The Motherhood Group, bringing together mothers, healthcare professionals, VCSEs, organisations, policymakers, students and partners from across the UK. More details and booking information here.
Reading Group: Postpartum Psychosis in Art and Literature, Thursday 26th March
In-person reading group meeting, led by The Art Working Parents Alliance, at the Peer Gallery in London to discuss Jenn Ashworth’s memoir ‘Notes Made While Falling’, along with a selection of texts that explore portrayals of postpartum psychosis in art and literature. More information and book tickets here.
Suicide&Co’s sector summit, Wednesday 22nd April
In-person day in Westminster for professionals working with individuals bereaved by suicide. More details and booking information here.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Show 2026, Friday 15th May
Guest speakers, seminars and talks at Cardiff City Stadium event for health professionals, charity and Third Sector staff, parents and guardians. More details and book tickets here.
Recognising and Responding to Maternal Deterioration, Wednesday 20th May
Online conference looking at how MEWS, NEWTT2 and the Perinatal Optimisation Care Pathway have been adopted in organisations across the country and the impact on recognising and responding to deterioration in maternity care. A 20% discount is available for members of the APP network with code hcuk20app . More details and booking here.
If you would like to advertise your event here, please get in touch: app@app-network.org.