Lottery backs project to help new mothers

The money for the Joanne (Joe) Bingley Memorial Foundation will support a new project for new and expectant mothers across Kirklees.

The charity was set up by Huddersfield man Christopher Bingley whose wife Joanne killed herself in April 2010.

She had been suffering from severe post-natal depression and committed suicide 10 weeks after the birth of her first child Emily.

A charity spokesman said there was a lack of support for women suffering from post-natal depression.

The proposed project, which will start next year, aims to provide a befriending service to support those who need help.

The project will build upon successful projects run by the charity Family Action in Mansfield and London which have been built into the local care network to allow expectant and new mothers to access specialist psychiatric services.

“Supported by Nottingham University, the peer support groups and befriender service provided by Family Action have received much acclaim and the benefits have been well documented,” said the spokesman.

“Bringing this type of supervised service to Kirklees is a first step towards reducing the postcode lottery that is the current status of NHS care provision over much of the country.

“This project is a great opportunity for mums and families in Kirklees to benefit from best practice developed and implemented elsewhere.”

The charity raises awareness of and provides information to mothers, fathers and families suffering the effects of post-natal depression.

It provides leaflets and information for health visitors, midwifes and GPs to give to mothers and their families to help with diagnosis and treatment to ensure patients are supported.