PM award for maternal mental health campaigner
A CO Down woman has received an award from Prime Minister Boris Johnson for leading a campaign to secure funding to improve mental health services for local mothers.
Mental health advocate Lindsay Robinson, from Dundonald, was given a Points of Light award after campaigning for £4.7m from the Executive.
The awards were launched in 2014 with the aim of recognising individuals making a difference in their local communities.
Lindsay started her own movement, with her website Have You
Seen That Girl sharing stories and resources in a bid to help break the stigma surrounding maternal mental health issues.
She suffered from perinatal depression — a condition which can start during pregnancy — and anxiety after her son, Reuben, was born in 2013.
Mrs Robinson experienced troubles for two years before receiving a diagnosis from medical professionals.
According to figures from the NHS, pregnancy-related depression affects around one in 10 women and is often not apparent until around six months into the pregnancy.
As part of her campaign, Lindsay dedicated herself to improving maternal mental health services and addressing the lack of access to specialist perinatal services for mothers.
Working closely with the Executive, she was instrumental in ensuring that funding was provided for new multidisciplinary community perinatal mental health teams in the five health and social care trusts.
Lindsay said that she was “absolutely honoured” to be awarded the gong in recognition of her work around raising awareness of mental health issues in mothers.
“I am also thrilled with the recent news from the Health Minister that specialist community perinatal mental services are being funded and all parents will now have access to this support,” explained Lindsay, whose husband is the East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson.
“It has been a privilege to play my part in campaigning for this change and advocating for parents who (like me) find themselves faced with the difficulties of mental illness.
“I will continue to do all I can to shine a light on these issues and ensure help and support are available.”