2008 Iolanthe Midwifery Trust Awards
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2008 Iolanthe Midwifery Trust Awards |
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The 2008 award ceremony was held in the Cholmondeley Room at the House of Lords on November 27, and hosted by Baroness Cumberlege, patron of the Trust. The ceremony was part of the Trust's 25th anniversary celebrations. Julia Cumberlege welcomed many noted midwives – including, she said, 18 professors! – as well as MPs, guests from the Royal College of Midwives, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, MIDIRS, National Childbirth Trust, King’s Fund, White Ribbon Alliance and others. The gathering heard a short history of the Trust from Dr Vanora Hundley, the vice-chair, who then called for a toast to the Trust’s success of 25 years’ spent advancing professional development in midwifery. A large card of congratulations, signed by all guests, was presented to the trustees by Dr Sally Marchant, a former chair. Professor Billie Hunter, chair of the Trust, asked the award winners to come and receive their certificates from Baroness Cumberlege, following which two of them – Gill Perks and Joanna Mead - gave short talks about the project that had been funded by the award. In closing the ceremony Professor Hunter identified the current challenges within the health service and highlighted the importance of the Trust's work in supporting midwives and boosting morale.
Read
Elizabeth Duff's report on this year's award winners.
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The photograph shows (L to R): Baroness Cumberlege, Julie Wray, Joanna Mead, Elsa Montgomery, Lauren Chandler, Adele Phillips, Catherine Ricklesford, Victoria Clarke, Gill Perks, Wendy Hicks, Iolanda Serci, Christine Dunn, Billie Hunter. |
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Julie Wray |
The 2008 Iolanthe Midwifery Trust Research Fellow The 2008 Research Fellowship was awarded to midwife Julie Wray, who is pursuing her PhD studies at the Salford Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Collaborative Research, University of Salford. The Fellowship will provide funding for the final phase of the doctorate, to be submitted in 2009.
Julie’s research focuses on what she terms ‘birth recovery’ – the period in which new mothers receive postnatal care - and the following months. Julie writes that, ‘This time after birth is profound and overwhelming as women embark upon their adjustment to mothering … around 23% of women have a surgical birth and so will be regarded as ‘post-operative’ after birth. In many ways women are rehabilitating, in that it involves a continuous and multi-faceted process requiring a range of skills and expertise’.
The overarching aim of the study is to strengthen the evidence base for enhancing postnatal services through increased understanding of care from a cultural and health viewpoint. It will undertake:
A high quality of applications were received from midwives when the Fellowship was advertised, and the assessors – including the IMT’s midwife trustees and two external reviewers – all expressed commendation of the shortlisted applicants. Chair of the trustees Professor Billie Hunter said she was delighted to see how many midwives were pursuing research at this significant level and welcomed the choice of Julie Wray’s topic and approach. Julie commented, ‘Professionally, being supported to complete the PhD on a topic and methodology that has been marginalised at times would contribute towards “added value” and meaning to the study and to midwifery. I feel that the voices of these women and their stories could act as a strong platform to improve postnatal care in the future … Personally, this is such a wonderful opportunity and I am so proud to be selected for the 2008 award’.
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There were four Midwife Awards made this year.
Gill Perks, midwife at the Canterbury Birth Centre, to participate in a workshop at ‘The Farm’, Nashville, Tennessee, USA, as part of a Master’s degree programme.
Iolanda Serci, lecturer in midwifery at the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen,for attendance at the 8th Congress of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL) in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, to inform her PhD study on perinatal depression and nutrition.
Elsa Montgomery, lecturer at the University of Southampton, for two courses in interviewing skills to assist in her PhD exploring the maternity care of women who have experienced sexual abuse.
Joanna Mead, midwife at the Rosie Maternity Hospital, to go on a UNICEF Breastfeeding Management course as part of her study to qualify as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.
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The photograph shows Joanna Mead receiving her award from Baroness Cumberlege |
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The photograph shows Gill Perks receiving her award from Baroness Cumberlege. |
Two of these award winners received special awards for their work.
The Ann Stewart Award, which demonstrates commitment to midwifery practice, was awarded to Joanna Mead, midwife at the Rosie Maternity Hospital.
The Dame Rosalind Paget Award, a personal award for holistic care, was awarded to Gill Perks, midwife at the Canterbury Birth Centre.
Both winners gave a short presentation about their projects.
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There were seven Student Awards made this year. Lauren Chandler, of King’s College London, to attend the International Confederation of Midwives Congress, Glasgow, to present her poster on ‘normal birth’
Victoria Clarke, studying at Anglia Ruskin University, to visit Iganga, Uganda, for a work placement at the Suubi Clinic.
Christine Dunn and Angela Nixon, both of Kingston University, to undertake placements at the SUNY Medical Center, New York, USA.
Wendy Hicks and Catherine Ricklesford, both at Bournemouth University, for a three-month study and work experience based at the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Adele Phillips, of King’s College London, to spend a month in Tamil Nadu, South India, experiencing hospital and community midwifery
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The photograph shows Christine Dunn receiving her award from Baroness Cumberlege. |
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