Background to the Tricia Anderson Award
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Background to the Tricia Anderson Award |
The Tricia Anderson Award is made in memory of midwife Tricia Anderson who died in October 2007. It is made possible by her many friends and colleagues who wish to remember her life and work.
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Tricia trained as a midwife in Bournemouth but this was a second career for her, as she had already completed a first degree in English and Music at the University of York. Tricia’s passion for literature and the arts, especially music, continued to inform and inspire her life and was a rich and integral part of her midwifery philosophy.
In the 1980s, before she ever trained as a midwife, Tricia was part of the original team that established MIDIRS (the Midwives Information and Resource Service) in Bristol. She went on to work as editor of the MIDIRS Midwifery Digest, 1995-1997, and later of The Practising Midwife.
Tricia also had a part-time role as a midwifery lecturer at Bournemouth University, where she was course leader for the MA in Advanced Midwifery Practice.
Tricia worked as an independent midwife and was a passionate advocate for women and their right to choose the birth they wanted. She was deeply interested in the politics of childbirth and committed to the role of the midwife as guardian of normal childbirth. Tricia was part-way through a PhD exploring the physiology and psychology of trust and birth when she was diagnosed with an incurable brainstem tumour in August 2005. |
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Through her writing she was able to share her passion for birth with midwives, students and women, both nationally and internationally. Tricia wrote extensively and in an inimitable style - engaging and accessible, but also academic and thoughtful. Tricia believed strongly in working alongside women: in 1996 she helped to establish a peer support group for breastfeeding women in Dorset, ‘Bosom Buddies’, which continues to flourish. She also led a wide range of workshops throughout the UK and Europe, from guidance on dealing with childbirth emergencies at home to weekends entitled ‘Sex, Birth and Rock and Roll’.
Tricia will be sadly missed and mourned by her very many friends, colleagues, students and all who met her. However, we celebrate the fact that she left a rich and lasting legacy and that she continues to inspire all who were lucky enough to know her. Saturday 14th June 2008 saw the Passionate Midwifery Conference held to celebrate her life. This proved to be an excellent day, with a large audience of midwives, student midwives and supporters of midwifery. There were many rich and varied presentations from a number of internationally renowned speakers, all of who paid tribute in their papers to Tricia and her original and creative ways of thinking. |
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The Conference was also highly successful as a fund raising day, with a total of £3371 being raised for the Tricia Anderson Award, which was announced at the conference by Professor Paul Lewis and Professor Billie Hunter (Iolanthe Midwifery Trust Chair). Funds were primarily generated by conference registrations (all speakers spoke for free, facilities were provided free of charge by Bournemouth University and a delicious lunch was provided by all the participants, who brought along 'food to share'). There were also a number of donations on the day, and money was also raised by the sale of Tricia's textbooks. Don't worry - if you could not make it to the conference but would like to donate to this award it is not too late!! Just use our secure electronic funds transfer service or send a cheque payable to the Iolanthe Midwifery Trust. Please indicate that you wish the money to go to the Tricia Anderson Award fund. Read Elizabeth Duff's account of the day
The Tricia Anderson Award is made annually and supports individuals or groups wishing to undertake activities that reflect Tricia’s passion, innovative approach, scholarship and commitment to the wellbeing of mothers and midwives. The first award was made in 2009 to Alison Taylor, of Bournemouth University. Alison is working with women in the early weeks of breastfeeding to make video diaries as an educational resource.
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© Iolanthe Midwifery Trust |
Registered charity number: 287283 |
