Support Vulnerable Women During Labour and Birth

Donate to prevent mentally vulnerable women and birthing people from birthing alone after fleeing war, trafficking and domestic violence with the Neighbourhood Doulas Campaign.

A doula is a birth companion trained in childbirth who provides emotional, physical, advocacy and educational support.

Neighbourhood Doulas has been described as a life-saving service that has helped new mothers in London since 2019.

We are a community-led organisation available 365 days a year, providing free of charge, wrap-around care for some of our most at risk in society.

In their most vulnerable time they are growing, birthing and becoming a parent, isolated and alone.

90% of our service users have poor mental health

97% Low income families

47% Asylum Seekers

36% Survivors of trauma including torture, rape, trafficking and domestic violence

74% Experiencing housing issues

Every referral crossed over multiple categories

We are constantly over-referred, oversubscribed and people are desperately waiting to receive essential support.

Having recently transitioned from CIC status (Community Interest Company) into CIO status (Charitable Incorporated Organisation) we are currently in-between funding and after trying all avenues to continue this work, we have been left with no other option then to turn to our community of help.

Our service users are made up of low-income families who are struggling to make ends meet, displaced people who have been forced to flee their homes due to war, violence and terror in their home countries and now facing birthing alone without anyone with them.

We support those who are / have experienced domestic abuse. Research shows that violence often begins or escalates in pregnancy; 1 in 3 pregnant women experience domestic abuse. Those that have escaped and / or survived domestic abuse then face the prospect of bringing another human into the world without anyone to support them.

Teenagers who find themselves in the position of not only being pregnant at such a young age but also facing the prospect of giving birth alone, preparing for birth alone and having no support once their baby arrives, is an equally terrifying prospect.

These are all unthinkable situations.

Neighbourhood Doulas are here to fill in the gaps.

We exist to ensure that the women and birthing people who are referred to us without a birth partner, are prepared for birth and supported during labour and birth. Once the babies arrive, we help new mothers as they enter parenthood with invaluable community doula support such as newborn baby care, feeding options, mental health and wellbeing care, provide baby-essential items and accompany them to connect with their local community organisations.

98% of referrals come through the NHS midwives to Neighbourhood Doulas, however due to the current financial crisis referrals come in good faith, but without any funding. Midwives often stress the need for our services and are disappointed when they hear we are at capacity. The situation is dire.

This is why we are asking for your help. We are a tiny team with a big reach and even bigger ripple effects, from the babies, to mothers and their communities. We are having to turn away mothers that desperately need the support that we are able to provide, if we have the funding.

With your kindness and generosity we hope to be able to raise £25,000 to enable us to keep supporting mothers and their new babies this Winter.

Our doulas undergo extensive training offered by the best programmes in the UK that not only enable them to support expectant mothers and birthing people but also with the incredibly important aspect of cultural relativity to who they are supporting. They are aware of medical racism and the devastating statistics of Black women being 3.8 x more likely and Asian women being 1.8 x more likely to die in childbirth than their white counterparts.

Neighbourhood Doulas exists for these purposes. We don’t want to stop providing our life-changing care to those that need it; but we need your help. There’s no slowing down nature, these babies are on their way and they and their mothers need vital support.

Every donation we receive contributes to providing full doula support for a vulnerable mother/birthing person.

With your help achieving our target of £25,000, we will be able to support mothers and babies, providing wrap around care which includes the following:

We deeply appreciate anything you can give.

With love and heartfelt thanks,

Neighbourhood Doulas

Website: Neighbourhooddoulas.org

Instagram: @ neighbourhood.doulas