We are writing to express our deepest gratitude to the Iolanthe Midwifery Trust for their generous grant, which has enabled a vital project, the Antenatal Education Translation Initiative, aimed at improving antenatal education for women in the UK who do not speak English.
Iolanthe's support has had a direct and meaningful impact on addressing health inequalities and ensuring that all service users, regardless of language barriers, can navigate the maternity system safely and with confidence.
The funding provided by the Iolanthe Midwifery Trust has been used to translate a comprehensive antenatal education document into five widely spoken languages in the UK: Somali, Romanian, Polish, Urdu, and Arabic.
These translations are tailored to meet the specific cultural and linguistic needs of the diverse communities we serve and will be an essential tool in promoting equitable access to maternity care.
In the UK, there are significant disparities in maternal outcomes for women who face language barriers. Women who do not speak English as a first language often experience difficulties in understanding medical information, communicating with healthcare providers, and navigating the maternity care system.
This can lead to delayed access to antenatal care, misunderstandings about pregnancy health and safety, and increased anxiety during an already vulnerable period in their lives.
Research and feedback from healthcare professionals and service users alike highlight that language barriers contribute to a lack of engagement in antenatal education sessions, which are critical for preparing expectant mothers for childbirth, postpartum recovery, and early parenting.
These educational resources often include essential information about recognising danger signs, birth planning, breastfeeding, mental health support, and accessing emergency services. Without accessible and understandable materials, non-English-speaking women are at greater risk of poor outcomes for themselves and their babies.
Thanks to your funding, we have successfully completed the translation of our antenatal education document. The document has been carefully reviewed by professional translators with experience in medical and maternity-related content, ensuring both linguistic accuracy and cultural sensitivity. Each translation was also reviewed in consultation with native speakers from local communities to confirm clarity and relevance.
The translated documents are currently with the Patient Leaflet Department at North Bristol NHS Trust; this department is responsible for formatting, branding, and preparing the leaflets for distribution across antenatal clinics, GP surgeries, and community centres. We are working closely with them to finalise the materials, and we anticipate that the leaflets will be printed and in active distribution by October 2025.
Our vision is to empower all women with the information they need to make informed decisions about their care, regardless of the language they speak. These translated documents are an important step towards reducing inequality and promoting inclusion in maternity services.
Once in circulation, we hope to track their usage and gather feedback from both service users and healthcare professionals to assess their impact and guide future updates or expansions of the translation initiative.
This project could not have progressed without your support. On behalf of the entire team involved in this initiative and the communities we serve, we thank the Iolanthe Midwifery Trust for your commitment to improving maternity care and supporting midwifery-led efforts to promote health equity.
We look forward to sharing further updates on the launch and distribution of the translated materials in the coming months. Thank you again for believing in and supporting this important work.
