A CHILDCARE provider has been awarded more than £6,000 thanks to an organisation dedicated to supporting former mining towns and villages.

The £6,090 from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust’s community investment programme, has enabled Clart About to host weekly support network groups for new and expectant mothers across the Durham, Langley Park and Consett area.

The weekly ‘Clart About Cares’ classes give mothers a space to talk about their feelings and experiences in a non-judgemental environment. The weekly sessions address various challenges providing simple techniques and skills to deal with them.

Founding director of Clart About Lynn Hammell-Randall, said: “It is not uncommon for new parents to become socially isolated after giving birth and a lack of support at home and worries about relationships with partners and families can be contributing factors to pre and postnatal illness and anxiety. The weekly sessions address these challenges providing simple techniques and skills to deal with them.

“Becoming a new mum is both a privilege and a joy, however it isn’t always easy and many women across the UK face great difficulties after the birth of their child.

“The funding gives us the opportunity to help local women with whatever problems they may be facing. Sharing your experiences with others, who are often facing the same problems as you, is a great way to move forward in your journey as a parent.”

Andy Lock, head of operations (England) for the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, which is dedicated to supporting former mining towns and villages, said: “We know that former mining towns and villages show disproportionate negative indices when we look at deprivation figures compared to the rest of the country. It simply isn’t good enough to ignore this information

“These problems cannot be tackled alone and by working with partners across coalfields communities like Clart About we are able to redirect resource where it is needed both.”

The Coalfields Regeneration Trust was established in 1999 and since then more than two million people have benefited from support delivered by the organisation.

For further details about the trust, visit: www.coalfields-regen.org.uk.