A SUPPORT service will provide help to new mums in Barnsley thanks to a £50,000-a-year project funded by the Central Area Council.

The peri-natal service - a term which is used for a time which spans from pregnancy to a child’s first birthday - is run by Family Lives and has been launched in Kingstone, Central, Stairfoot, Worsbrough and Dodworth wards.

The service, which launched in April, will run on a rolling contract and could last for three years, helping struggling mums who may be suffering from post-natal depression or isolation in order to boost their emotional wellbeing.

Caroline Fanshawe, area manager at Family Lives, said: “Many people have never heard of the term ‘peri-natal’, but you’re basically included in the bracket if you’re pregnant up to the child’s first birthday.

“We have identified our focuses in Barnsley, rotating around one-to-one befriending, and we’re in the process of recruiting volunteers who may have been in a similar position to those who we’re helping.

“This programme resonates with many people and we’re also in talks with partnering agencies such as Berneslai Homes and Barnsley Hospital in order to signpost expectant or new mums to us.”