<\/p>\n
A Christian Birmingham charity supporting parents with prenatal and postnatal depression has launched a new campaign ahead of Mother\u2019s Day on March 15, warning that funding cuts could leave vulnerable mothers without vital support.<\/p>\n
Acacia Family Support is appealing for donations through its campaign ‘Motherhood \u2013 Not What You Expected?’ after losing a significant portion of its funding.<\/p>\n
Established in 2003 by Emma Borg and Rachel Gregory, two mothers who have themselves experienced perinatal mental health issues, Acacia Family Support now assists hundreds of parents in Birmingham each year.<\/p>\n
The organisation says reductions in NHS funding alongside falling donations and grant income have created a \u00a3150,000 shortfall, amounting to around 20% of its annual budget.<\/p>\n
The charity fears that without urgent financial support, some mothers experiencing pregnancy-related mental health problems may struggle to access early help.<\/p>\n
Acacia\u2019s acting director, Becky Douglas-Jones, said the campaign aims to highlight the realities many women face during pregnancy and early motherhood \u2013 experiences that are often hidden behind idealised portrayals online and in public celebrations.<\/p>\n
\u201cMother\u2019s Day is framed as a joyful celebration of motherhood, but the reality is different for many women,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne in four mothers experience anxiety, depression or other serious mental health problems during pregnancy or after the birth.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen they see images of other people\u2019s perfect Mother\u2019s Day, it amplifies the guilt, shame and inadequacy they feel because they\u2019re struggling to bond with their baby.\u201d<\/p>\n
As part of the campaign, five short videos are being shared on social media in the run-up to Mother\u2019s Day 2026.<\/p>\n
Each video features a mother who has received support from Acacia and shares her personal experience, covering issues such as isolation, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.<\/p>\n
The campaign also seeks to raise awareness of the importance of early intervention in perinatal mental health.<\/p>\n
According to Acacia\u2019s head of fundraising, Vicki Hook, the charity\u2019s services often prevent problems from escalating into crisis.<\/p>\n
\u201cBirmingham has the second-highest number of instances of perinatal mental health conditions in the country,\u201d she said. \u201cIf we can\u2019t replace these funds, many mothers won\u2019t get that preventative service when prompt treatment is so essential.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added that the initial 1,001 days of a child\u2019s life \u2013 from pregnancy through the first two years \u2013 are pivotal for development.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that children of parents who experience mental health issues at this stage are more likely to struggle with their own social and emotional development,\u201d she stated. \u201cThey\u2019re [new mothers] so vulnerable during that period and things can escalate really quickly. Suicide is the leading cause of death in the first year after pregnancy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among those supporting the campaign is Emma Elmas, a mother of three from Cofton Hackett, who said the charity\u2019s support helped her through one of the most difficult periods of her life.<\/p>\n
Elmas said she struggled with overwhelming emotional distress after becoming a mother, at times experiencing suicidal thoughts.<\/p>\n
\u201cI started self-harming because I needed control,\u201d she shared. \u201cAnd I thought about committing suicide \u2013 not because I didn’t love my children, but because I couldn’t cope.\u201d<\/p>\n
She continued: \u201cThat’s not something you can burden your husband or mum with, but I had Acacia. I was able to talk freely, without judgement. Without Acacia, I wouldn\u2019t be here today and my children wouldn\u2019t have a mother. I owe them everything.”<\/p>\n
Acacia works alongside NHS services and often receives referrals for mothers who require more immediate or specialised support than is available through public healthcare alone.<\/p>\n
Its services include one-to-one sessions, group programmes and a cr\u00e8che so parents can attend support appointments while their children are cared for.<\/p>\n
Ms Douglas-Jones said the charity\u2019s approach helps mothers feel safe enough to speak honestly about their struggles.<\/p>\n
She highlighted that many mothers are afraid to admit that they are struggling because of a misplaced fear that social services might remove their baby.<\/p>\n
However, she explained that the charity provides a supportive, non-judgemental environment where women can speak openly about how they are feeling.<\/p>\n
\u201cAcacia has a beautiful family feel, offering kindness, hope, care and gentleness,\u201d she said. \u201cOur mums feel welcome; they feel included; they feel special and important.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’re a local charity. We’re here for Brummie families, supported by local volunteers and staff who\u2019ve been through perinatal mental health problems themselves and are motivated to go the extra mile.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A Christian Birmingham charity supporting parents with prenatal and postnatal depression has launched a new campaign ahead of Mother\u2019s Day on March 15, warning that funding cuts could leave vulnerable mothers without vital support. Acacia Family Support is appealing for donations through its campaign ‘Motherhood \u2013 Not What You Expected?’ after losing a significant portion<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22352,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[2322,72,1553,1369,1782,7416,3760],"class_list":["post-22351","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-christian-living","tag-charity","tag-christian","tag-cuts","tag-fears","tag-funding","tag-mums","tag-struggling"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22351","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22351"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22351\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/22352"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22351"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22351"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22351"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}