Research has shown that the first 1,001 days of a baby’s life (covering pregnancy and the first two years of life) is a critical time for brain development. Did you know that in the first year, over 1 million connections are formed in the brain every second?
While the early years can be the most joyous time, they can also be some of the most challenging, with up to 20% of mums and 10% of dads can experience poor mental health in the perinatal period (which covers pregnancy and baby’s first year).
Inspiring Scotland manages the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Fund on behalf of the Scottish Government. We work with 32 funded organisations who provide crucial support services for new and expectant parents, carers, infants and families who are experiencing mental health difficulties during the perinatal period, supporting them during this important stage of life.
For more information read our most up-to-date fund report.
Take a look at the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Peer Support Evaluation toolkit which has been designed to be a practical guide for organisations who want to design, develop and deliver an evaluation plan for perinatal and infant mental health peer support services.
A new round of funding is available for the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Fund.
The fund will provide up to £1,500,000 across 18-months from October 2024 – March 2026 for incorporated third sector organisations who are currently delivering perinatal and infant mental health support in Scotland.
Find out moreTo support midwives, health visitors and families, Scottish Government and Inspiring Scotland have created a directory of Third Sector Perinatal Mental Health services across Scotland which are accepting referrals.
Find services near youSince launching in October 2020, the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health (PIMH) Fund has supported charities with delivering vital mental health services to support families across Scotland. The work includes peer support, counselling support and parenting support. You can read more about their work here.
This new short film brings to life the work of the PIMH Fund and the third sector partners delivering vital support for families.
Scottish Government’s refreshed Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy sets out their vision and priorities. This strategy acknowledges the importance of support during the very early years and is based on 10 core principals, one of which is a life stage approach which includes pre-conception care, perinatal mental health care and parent-infant relationship care.
Sign up to our Perinatal and Infant Mental Health e-newsletter where we share third sector news, updates, opportunities and events regularly.
Inspiring Scotland’s Annual Report 22/23 provides an overview of the work undertaken to deliver on strategic priorities and mission to improve the lives of people across Scotland. In the period we supported over 700 organisations across 16 funding programmes worth over £50m. As well as new funding opportunities being created, nine of programmes provided vital
Read MoreThis update from our Perinatal and Infant Mental Health (PIMH) fund follows the stories of families who have been supported by the partner charities. These stories highlight the kind, compassionate approach and life changing impact that the third sector has on families and babies, and shows how the work which is being delivered helps to
Read MoreJanis Patterson of Ullapool Sea Savers tells us about the difference Specialist Volunteering has made to her organisation.
Read MoreAction for Children delivers services aimed at young people who are unemployed and who may have other issues restricting their ability to access the job market. OFN investment supports a number of important programmes that improve young people’s ability to move into a positive destination such as Youthbuild, Hospitality, Aiming High and STAY. CashBack for
Learn MoreAmma Birth Companions supports vulnerable women who are facing significant adversity on their journey towards motherhood. This includes mothers who are refugees, asylum seekers and living in poverty. Amma’s birth and mother companions support women before, during and after birth, providing trauma-informed emotional and practical support. Currently operating in Glasgow—with the aim to expand across
Learn MoreOne of the UK’s largest children’s charities, Barnardo’s provide a number of services which include family support, befriending, mentoring, parenting groups and many more. Barnardo’s is supported by CashBack for Communities. More information is available on the CashBack.scot Barnardo’s East Ayrshire is one of the 13 charities in the Intandem portfolio. For more information see
Learn MoreA fund to support perinatal infant mental health and parents is open for applications from third sector organisations and services. Following on from work the Scottish Government’s previous Perinatal and Infant Mental Health fund, the new phase is open to third sector organisations who support babies, parents and carers affected by, or at risk, of
Read MoreWe kicked off the new year by hosting the first online conference of its kind in Scotland – Infant Mental Health: Babies in Scotland 2024. This event was in partnership with the Scottish Government and was our biggest event yet with 588 people attending on the day. It was incredible to get that many
Read MoreWe are pleased to share our Annual Report 22/23 providing an overview of the work undertaken to deliver on our strategic priorities and mission to improve the lives of people across Scotland. We supported over 700 organisations across 16 funding programmes worth over £50m. As well as new funding opportunities being created, nine of our
Read MoreFor all enquiries about the Perinatal Infant Mental Health Fund, please email pimhenquiries@inspiringscotland.org.uk
Sign up to the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health e-newsletter from Inspiring Scotland, where we share third sector news, updates, opportunities and events.
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