Walking Mum’s Club CIC have teamed up with St Mary’s Hospital to improve the physical and mental wellbeing of people who are pregnant or have recently given birth.
The partnership focuses on holistic care of patients, reducing isolation, and providing a vital peer-support network for mums and new parents.
Walking Mum’s Club (WMC) will be delivering weekly walks with a clinician from St Mary’s joining the group every six weeks to support pregnancy education and build trusted relationships.
St Mary’s is part of the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust which has an Active Hospitals commitment, which is being supported by Greater Manchester Moving.
The Active Hospitals work is developing a culture across MFT’s hospital and community settings to prevent decondition, get people home sooner, and promote active lifestyles.
WMC is a trusted, city-wide community supporting new parents with free, baby-friendly walks whether they’re looking for fresh air, practical support or a friendly face.
The group, founded in 2020, aims to support parents reset, connect, and feel supported during pregnancy, maternity leave, and early parenthood.
We are proud to support an initiative that brings together physical activity, peer support, and trusted healthcare advice in a welcoming community setting.
Derin Webb, cultural safety and ethnic minority engagement midwife at MFT, said:
“Pregnancy is about more than clinical care alone. These walks are open and inclusive, bringing together women and families from our diverse communities.
“Alongside the regular walks, our themed ‘walking clinics’, give women and families opportunities to connect with midwives and doctors beyond traditional appointments.
“We hope these walks help promote healthier pregnancies, improved wellbeing and stronger social connections for the future. The walks are accessible to all, and we look forward to seeing our communities thrive through them.”
Following on from this partnership, Kate at GM Moving has also connected Walking Mum’s Club with a GP in Salford who is exploring community and public health interventions.
Dr Dhiviya Tharan is working to better support postnatal women particular around physical activity, weight management, and wellbeing.
Since connecting, the pair made a successful application to the GM Walking and Wheeling Fund to create two hyper-local weekly walking hubs in Ordsall and Peel Park.
A new ‘First Step’ offer of one-to-one or buddy walks for women who lack confidence joining a group with recruitment driven through the local GP practice and public health team.
“Working alongside St Mary’s has given us a wonderful opportunity to reach women during pregnancy”
Becca Cahill, Founder of Walking Mum’s Club, said:
“We know that pregnancy and the early months of motherhood can be incredibly isolating, and sometimes taking that first step out of the house is the hardest part.
“Working alongside St Mary’s has given us a wonderful opportunity to reach women during pregnancy, build those trusted relationships early and make sure that support continues once their baby arrives.
“We’re really excited to be bringing this approach to Salford too, working with local health professionals to make sure more mums feel connected, supported, and confident in their communities.”
Strategic Lead for Health Inequalities, Kate Harding, said:
“I could see how the work of Walking Mum’s Club and Dr Tharan at Ordsall Health Surgery could complement each other, so it was great to be able to bring them together.
“This gave me an opportunity to highlight a funding opportunity they could apply for in partnership which is now creating new provision in an area with high levels of need.
“It’s great to create these connections and opportunities to turn ambition into action through understanding what’s happening across the system and where people have shared aims.”
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