Using creative community-based approaches to support women through their lived experiences of early motherhood.
The Creative Writing Programme for New Mothers, starting in February 2025, is part of the Halton Family Hubs offer, led by the Health Improvement Team at Halton Borough Council (HBC) in partnership with the Infant Feeding Specialist Lead and the Start for Life Wellbeing Team at Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
Facilitated by creative producer Dr Rachel New, the programme includes six creative workshops, providing a supportive environment where new mothers can comfortably express their experiences and emotions through writing. The programme is designed to support women’s mental health and wellbeing in the transitional period of early motherhood, particularly for breastfeeding women.
I am delighted to have been commissioned by HBC to evaluate the programme, complementing a growing portfolio of research on the value of culture and creativity in women’s health. Working alongside Dr Clare Maxwell, Reader in Maternal and Infant Health at LJMU, we will explore the impact of the programme on participating women’s subjective wellbeing and (individual and collective) sense of agency and coping strategies in early motherhood. We will also explore the subsequent value of peer-led storytelling in supporting maternal wellbeing in the wider Halton community, through more relatable public health messaging.
I’m especially delighted to be working with Rachel again, following last year’s evaluation of The 51% project as an exemplar of the value of creative writing to women with different experiences of reproductive health trauma.