Best Beginnings receives The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s COVID-19 Response Fund

We are pleased to share that Best Beginnings is one of the ten leading charities at the heart of mental health and frontline support to be supported by The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s COVID-19 Response Fund.

As a result of The Royal Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund, and in partnership with NHS England, individual grief trauma counselling from Hospice UK will be available for all frontline workers. In addition, over 250,000 emergency responders will have access to peer-to-peer support, training and mental health resources from Mind’s Blue Light mental health support programme, building on the support that is already available from other sources, including employers and Our Frontline. Grants have also been given to mental health charities to increase their capacity for helpline and chat services to meet rising demand, supporting the nation’s mental health during this time, but also in the months and years ahead.

For Best Beginnings, this grant will enable us to deliver a new Digital Outreach Programme and maternal mental health training to Home-Start volunteers and midwives so an additional 20,000 expectant and new mothers will be supported by Baby Buddy, our NHS approved pregnancy and parenting app.

Earlier this week, The Duke and Duchess spoke to four representatives from several of the organisations which will benefit from the fund, including two emergency responders and two mental health counsellors. They heard about the challenges facing organisations and how mental health support will be needed both for those working on the frontline and those delivering vital support to the nation.

Alison Baum, our CEO and founder, says,

“All of us at Best Beginnings are thrilled that The Royal Foundation has chosen to fund this important project. The pandemic has led to greatly increased levels of anxiety and isolation for parents across the UK and in collaboration with many charities and frontline professionals we are here to help. A COVID-19 survey we conducted with parents using our NHS approved Baby Buddy app revealed it is helping them navigate these turbulent times in many different ways. This vital funding will enable us to deliver an engaging Digital Outreach Programme as well as maternal mental health training with Home-Start volunteers and midwives. Together we’ll ensure that 20,000 more parents will benefit from the personalised, supportive and empowering daily information, 300 films in Baby Buddy designed to give them the knowledge and confidence to look after themselves and give their children the best start in life.”

You can read more about the fund here.

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