Share your experience
Wolverhampton
MNVP
Wolverhampton Maternity & Neonatal Voices Partnership wants to engage with all of the women, birthing people and their families across Wolverhampton. We want to hear their stories and listen to how their experiences have shaped their pregnancy and journey into parenthood, whatever that may look like.
We want them to understand that they can advocate for themselves, to feel empowered and able to speak up. However, when they may feel like they don’t have a voice or didn’t have a choice, we want them to have a safe space to share that and look at how this can improve going forward.
We work closely with the staff at New Cross Hospital from within the Maternity and neonatal Departments and know that they are really keen to make positive changes if things haven’t gone as planned, to learn and adapt their services and to make every woman and birthing person feel comfortable and included in the decisions that are made about their care.
We recognise the richness of diversity that makes up Wolverhampton, and we welcome anyone who has accessed Maternity and/or Neonatal Services in Wolverhampton within the past 3 years to help shape the future of care in Wolverhampton.
How are we helping?
We work with the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Lead Midwife in Wolverhampton, Sunita Banga, to engage with Service Users from different backgrounds. Sunita works tirelessly to include, support and educate different groups within Wolverhampton’s community, which includes supporting pregnant women and their families in the Hotels housing refugees and asylum seekers, running a weekly Group for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic families called SAHARA and facilitating a group for LGBTQ+ parents called Pride in Pregnancy. We are welcome to attend the Groups and meet with these women, birthing people and their families in different settings where they already feel comfortable.
We are working with the newly relaunched Family Hubs in Wolverhampton, other local community organisations and the Breastfeeding Support Groups across Wolverhampton. We have been invited to attend Play Sessions and Baby Stay and Play Groups to meet parents there with an aim to be more visual in the community and meet with families that might not be able to attend a set meeting or may not feel comfortable in that more formal setting.
Meet The Lead
Michelle Bennett
Hello my name is Michelle Bennett. I am a Mom to 5 wonderful children, ages from 28 down to 13 and Nana to 3 lovely boys.
I have worked as a Birth and Postnatal Doula for the last 13 years and a Wise Hippo Birthing Program instructor for the last 7 years.
I also facilitate the Cannock breastfeeding support group. At Cannock Chase Children’s Centre on a Monday afternoon.
In my free time I enjoy reading fantasy fiction.
I hope as lead for the Royal Wolverhampton Trust MNVP I will be able to work with the trust to help ensure women and birthing people have the best experience possible.
Kiran Gill
Hello, my name is Kiran Gill and I am the Co-Lead for Wolverhampton Maternity & Neonatal Voices Partnership. I have been a stay-at-home mom since 2020, navigating my way through the highs and lows of motherhood. Becoming a first-time mom during the Covid pandemic was a challenging time, which made me more mindful of the quality and experience of maternity services.
After attending a listening event organised by the MNVP, I felt very positive about sharing my feedback in a safe and comfortable space. My voice felt heard, respected and understood. It was this experience that further drove my interest in taking on the role of Co-Lead for Wolverhampton MNVP and driving positive change. I am passionate about amplifying the voices of birthing women and their families to plan, review and improve maternity and neonatal care.
Meet The Members
Sunita Banga
My name is Sunita Banga and I am the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead Midwife for Royal Wolverhampton Trust. I have set up specialised groups to help support the women in Wolverhampton; the Sahara Maternity Support Group is aimed at Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic women and provides antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal education in different languages; and I have also began a support group for the LGBT+ community too. Both groups give the women a safe space to talk about their concerns and we explore solutions to their individual needs.
I also enjoy being part of the MNVP as it gives me the opportunity to hear more voices of the parents to be, hear about their experiences and plan to make positive changes for Maternity Services for them. I work closely with my EDI colleagues within the LMNS and we are aiming to make Maternity Services even more equitable for all the families that we serve. I am committed to being the voice of the woman, making sure that she feels seen and heard.
Information and Support
Wolverhampton Family Hub
A place where children, young people and their families can go when they need support. The Family Hub staff can provide information or advice and help you locate and access support services in the area.
Wolves Play Cafe
They create and deliver Pay As You Feel stay and play sessions and distribute Play at Home Packs to families across the city.
The Haven Wolverhampton
The Haven Wolverhampton provides practical and emotional support for women and children who have been subjected to Domestic Abuse, and women who are at risk of homelessness.
Wolves Foundation
Wolverhampton Football Club’s official charity educates and inspires local people and communities, creates opportunities and changing lives.
Breastfeeding Support & Information
Useful information from the Wolverhampton Information Network