Today the Iolanthe Midwifery Trustees are delighted to announce the delayed 2020 Iolanthe Awards. Congratulations to all our winners!
On 6 November 2020 Dr Jacque Gerrard MBE, Chair of the Trustees, announced the midwives and students who have gained awards from the Iolanthe Midwifery Trust. She said:
"After a very challenging year for midwives and student midwives in the UK, the Iolanthe Midwifery Trustees are at last delighted to announce the Iolanthe Award Winners for 2020. As Chair of Iolanthe, I want to express my apologies for the delay in the announcement, due to the impact that the global pandemic has had on our applicants’ lives and their proposed award projects.
On behalf of all the Trustees and our Executive Director at Iolanthe our huge congratulations to all our award winners. We look forward to seeing the outcomes of your projects in the future.
We are thrilled that once again our Dora Opoku awards for Black, Asian and minority ethnic midwives and students have gone to two very worthwhile projects. In addition, we have made another award in the name of midwife Mary Cronk, a key influencing midwife who championed midwifery care and normal birth and very sadly died at the end of 2018."
The winner of the Dora Opoku Award for Black, Asian and minority ethnic students is:
Gloria Owolabi-Agbongbon, studying at Edinburgh Napier University, who travelled to Mexico for her 3rd year elective midwifery placement.
The 2 Student Winners are:
Louise Downie, a student midwife from the University of the West of Scotland, who will be going on a RCM Accredited course on perineal suturing for midwives.
Stacey Malone, from the University of Hertfordshire, will be travelling with three colleagues to attend an Appropriate Skills for Appropriate Places (ASAP) Workshop in Wales.
The winner of the Dora Opoku Award for Black, Asian and minority ethnic midwives is:
Radica Hardyal, studying at the University of Hertfordshire, who is undertaking research into Midwives’ Role in Severe Maternal Morbidity: the views of women, birth partners and midwives.
The 5 Midwife Award Winners are:
Claire Cregg, working at the Blackburn Birth Centre, who will put the award towards a local training course for midwives in complimentary therapies.
Elizabeth Murphy, a midwife from the St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester and University of Manchester School of Health Sciences, who is using her funding to organise local training on human rights in maternity care.
Evony Lynch, a midwife based at Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust, is using her award to arrange local training on optimising birth through midwifery skills. Evony also won the Mary Cronk Award.
Jude Field, a midwife from School of Health Sciences, Bangor University, is organising a study day on sexual violence and womens health for midwives and other interested health professionals.
Mo Tabib, who works at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen and NHS Grampian, is undertaking research exploring the Influence of Antenatal Relaxation Classes (ARC) on Childbirth Experiences and Maternal Psychological Wellbeing: An Exploratory Mixed-Method Study.
The Elizabeth Duff Award for supporting the midwife-mother relationship is awarded to:
Nikola Duncan, a midwife from Whittington Health NHS Trust, London who will use her award to create an aromatherapy, massage and hypnotherapy service for women.
The Iolanthe/RCM Jean Davies Award for addressing health inequalities is to go to:
Tomasina Stacey, from Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation Trust, will be using her funding to improve the communication of key health messages about diabetes in pregnancy to culturally and linguistically diverse communities with the use of co-designed digital animation..
The Midwifery Research Fellowship for writing up a PhD goes to:
Cristina Fernandez Turienzo, from King's College London, who is using her funding for research on the implementation and evaluation of a midwifery continuity of care model for women at increased risk of preterm birth in South London.
Jacque Gerrard added:
"We have once again been most impressed at the interest in the awards, and the volume of entrants and quality of projects from midwives and student midwives. The Trustees wish to congratulate and thank every single midwife and future midwife who applied, for all the wonderful initiatives that you are doing to improve care for mothers and babies. This is particularly heart-warming as we are aware of the increasing demands made on midwives working hard in the NHS and student midwives studying at university and learning in the clinical environment. Please remember that if you were unsuccessful in 2020 you may apply for a 2021 award – applications open on 2 December 2020 and close on 2 February 2021"
**Don't forget to read the rest our November Newsletter - you can find it here... November 2020 Newsletter **
