Nurture the Borders: Mental Health Project for new parents
Nurture the Borders (NTB) was established in 2015 as a Community Interest Company by a group of local mothers who recognised the challenges many women and families face during the perinatal period.
In February 2020, NTB became a registered charity with the purpose of promoting and protecting the physical and mental health of women, their infants and families affected by or at risk of developing perinatal mental health conditions. Based in Selkirk, the organisation offers services across the Scottish Borders including antenatal classes, educational support, counselling and birth trauma therapy. NTB accepts both self-referrals and referrals from health professionals such as health visitors, midwives and GPs. The organisation employs four part-time staff members and is supported by 22 volunteers.
Project Overview
After identifying a gap in services through consultation with local parents and health professionals, to support new parents, NTB decided to establish an outreach programme to address the statistic that one in four new mothers and one in ten new fathers experience mental health issues in the perinatal period. The rural location of the communities served meant that families were particularly vulnerable to isolation.
In 2024, the community outreach project became a reality, providing support, education and advocacy to new parents living in the Langhope Rig Sub-Fund A area of benefit, encompassing Ettrick and Yarrow, Lilliesleaf, Ashkirk and Midlem, Upper Teviotdale and Borthwick Water.
The project supported parents during pregnancy and for up to three years after birth, enabling them to better care for and relate to their new babies while managing their own mental health. The initiative particularly targeted parents who were vulnerable and at risk of developing mental health issues, as well as those already experiencing mental health challenges.
Project funding
The organisation approached Langhope Rig Sub Fund A and requested £15,955 to deliver its outreach project between May 2024 and April 2025. The Panel of decision makers for the fund, made up of volunteers from the local community, agreed to award the requested amount.
Project Implementation and Outcomes
Throughout the funding period, the project staff delivered one-to-one emotional and practical support in participants' homes and within their local communities. The person-centred approach focused on promoting parental mental health, bonding and secure attachment, sensitive nurturing care of babies, and integration with the local community. Parents accessed the service through self-referral or referrals from health professionals, with the organisation projecting support for approximately 30 families annually.
Nurture the Borders successfully supported 32 parents and their babies across the rural target areas. The project delivered an impressive 1,266 hours of direct support through various service formats:
- 256 hours of one-to-one home visits, with each parent receiving fortnightly visits over an average of four months
- 654 hours of peer support groups, attended regularly by 13 parents and occasionally by 6 others
- 216 hours of antenatal classes for 18 parents
- 50 hours of baby massage classes for 10 parents
- 60 hours of counselling for 5 parents who each received a 12-week course of therapy
- 30 hours of birth preparation and doula support for one household
Parents consistently reported improvements in their mental health, emotional wellbeing, confidence in parenting and reduced social isolation. Participant feedback highlighted the significant impact of the project, with one parent noting:
Living in a rural area, I often felt isolated, but the home visits and peer support groups gave me a sense of connection and community that I desperately needed.
Another parent shared:
Before getting support from Nurture the Borders, I was really struggling and there didn't seem to be anywhere to turn for help. I live remotely and it takes me 25 minutes to get anywhere which is really hard when you are struggling mentally and have a young baby. The home visits made a world of difference to me.
The project successfully filled a gap in service provision by offering support to those in rural communities who would otherwise have limited access to perinatal mental health services. By delivering services directly in participants' homes and communities, the initiative effectively overcame geographical barriers to access and created lasting connections among new parents who were previously isolated.
Services to rural communities
Through this targeted approach, Nurture the Borders has demonstrated the vital importance of accessible perinatal mental health support in rural settings and established a model that could be replicated in similar communities facing comparable challenges.
Rural communities face unique challenges in attracting services that deliver support to their diverse populations. This project stands out due to its service delivery approach and will make a significant impact on participating families and their young children, both immediately and for years to come. By providing support now, the rural communities within the Fund area will experience positive effects that extend well into the future.