The COST international conference on Optimising Childbirth ran over two days and had nearly 100 presentations from around the world. Rose McCarthy, Jackie Ingham, Dasha Pluto and Mel Cooper from the Maternity Stream of Sanctuary presented three papers between them and received two awards for the best presentations. One prize was given to Mel, who works at the University of Bradford, for her innovative plans to create a translating app that would enable midwives and women who don’t speak English to communicate effectively about maternity services. The other prize was given to Rose, Dasha, Jackie and Marie Clare Balaam, who sadly couldn’t attend, for their presentation about the Refugee Council’s Health Befriending Network. When Rose collected the prize she was told that everyone was talking about their presentation because it was so inspiring to hear stories from migrant women themselves. Rose was delighted because she passionately believes that women’s voices should be heard and that we should be working with migrant women and not for them. Dasha and Jackie (the two volunteers) presented their experiences of befriending mainly pregnant asylum seekers and refugees. Copies of their notes can be found on the following link. They shared very powerful stories demonstrating the success of the health befriending network. The funding has now ended so the befriending has now finished but it needs to carry on. It is a vital service providing health benefits for vulnerable women.

The presenters introduced the Maternity Stream of Sanctuary and Jackie described what it was like to be involved in the planning and filming of two DVD’s for the maternity stream. One DVD is for women and explains how and why they should access maternity services when they are pregnant and the other is for health professionals and explores the needs and experiences of pregnant asylum seekers and refugees. These will soon be available on the website www.cityofsanctuary.co.uk/maternity and will help applicants obtain the Maternity Service of Sanctuary Award which they can now apply for.The presenters would like to thank the City of Sanctuary and NCT who provided funds to enable the migrant women to attend.

Despite lack of funding, the health befriending volunteers are still meeting each month with Rose. They are determined that they will find funding somewhere so they can continue to support their peers and represent them. Rose says they are the most inspirational women she has ever met and a real asset to the Maternity Stream of Sanctuary.They may be down but they are not out!