What we're doing

Best Beginnings has been funded by Comic Relief to deliver its maternal mental health project, Out of the Blue, in North West England and East England to raise community leaders' and healthcare professionals' awareness and knowledge around maternal mental health.

Why we're doing it

Seven out of 10 women will hide or underplay the severity of their perinatal mental health illness and so they will not receive the help and support they need. This can have devastating consequences. Tragically, suicide is the leading cause of death during pregnancy and the year after birth.

Two in 10 women will develop a mental health illness during pregnancy and the year after birth. Yet, not all of these women will receive the support they require. Mental health services are not equally distributed across the UK. There is insufficient provision in the North West and the East of England, so this is where we will be working.

How we're doing it

Best Beginnings will be training healthcare professionals and community leaders to become Baby Buddy Champions. Baby Buddy Champions use the multi-award winning free app, Baby Buddy, to enhance their work with the families they support. The Baby Buddy Champions in these areas will receive specific maternal mental health training using the Out of the Blue resources.  

This Comic Relief funded Out of the Blue Project is two years in length. Yet, the Out of the Blue Project, as with all Best Beginnings projects, is built with the future in mind. Baby Buddy Champions are trained to cascade their knowledge through their teams and networks ensuring that we are able to reach more at risk families.  

If you would like to know more about out our Out of the Blue Project, our other commissioned work or becoming a champion, please email [email protected].

To find out more about the Out of the Blue film series, it's creation, contributors and use; download our Out of the Blue Booklet.