A community partnership will expand the support available for pregnant women and new mums facing financial hardship and disadvantage in Newham.

The project will offer antenatal education, breastfeeding support, counselling and family link services, alongside an existing perinatal peer support service.

It has a strong focus on inclusion and support for women of black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, who experience significant inequalities in outcomes.

UK parents' charity NCT, which has received £471,000 from the government’s health and wellbeing fund, will work with Plaistow-based Alternatives Trust East London, Forest Gate's The Magpie Project and East Ham organisation Compost London.

NCT chief executive Angela McConville said: “Together, we can ensure meaningful and impactful support for many more women experiencing significant challenges during pregnancy and early parenthood.

“Our volunteer peer supporters already play an important role in reducing isolation, boosting mental health and supporting women to access services in Newham.

“This new partnership and community-led approach will expand this support, and will help address the unacceptable inequalities experienced by black, Asian and ethnic minority women."

The new partnership builds on NCT’s parents in mind project, which is funded by the Newham Clinical Commissioning Group and provides trained peer support for women who are socially isolated or experiencing mental health difficulties.

Alternatives Trust East London director Elizabeth Booker said: “Alternatives’ holistic and therapeutic work with vulnerable women around pregnancy and birth has shown us the extent of the unmet need for perinatal education and support in Newham.

“(This project) has the potential to make a huge impact on the wellbeing of women in our borough who do not currently have access to services and give their children a healthy and secure start in life.”

The Magpie Project CEO and founder Jane Williams added the partnership would provide a “bespoke, targeted and meaningful response” to the specific barriers and challenges that mums from migrant or marginalised backgrounds face gaining support around childbirth and early motherhood.