A vital support programme for expectant parents in Rochdale has been secured for the future after receiving a significant grant. The local charity Your Trust has been awarded £74,685 to expand its innovative 'Blissful Bumps' project.
Funding for Creative and Mental Wellbeing
The money comes from the Museums Association’s Health and Wellbeing in Museums Fund, which is supported by the Julia Rausing Foundation. This award follows a successful pilot scheme that began in early 2025. The programme provides fortnightly sessions that combine artist-led creative activities with crucial mental health support.
It works directly with local maternity services to offer families a holistic support network during pregnancy. This initiative tackles a critical need, as statistics reveal that two in five women face mental health challenges during this time. For women from the global majority, that number increases to three in five.
Building a Supportive Creative Community
Blissful Bumps is more than an arts and crafts group; it is a long-term strategy for mental wellbeing, aligned with Greater Manchester’s Creative Health Strategy. Between April and September last year, participants took part in diverse activities including book-binding, tie-dyeing baby clothes, and prenatal yoga.
These relaxed gatherings create a non-clinical space where midwives and early years specialists can offer 'wrap-around' care. The new funding will allow Your Trust to hire a dedicated project lead, enabling the programme to reach more people across the borough and ensure no one faces pregnancy alone.
Inspired by Local Heritage
The programme will also tap into the artistic and historical collections at Touchstones Rochdale, weaving local heritage into its creative process. Bryan Beresford, community and inclusion manager at Touchstones, said: “We’re thrilled to be selected... this opportunity enables us to strengthen partnerships and continue our creative health work across the Borough.”
Craig Smith from the Museums Association commended the project, stating that Blissful Bumps 'demonstrates excellence' in museum-led health initiatives. As it grows, the programme will foster a new 'peri-postnatal creative community', inviting local parents to help shape future sessions.
