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Aims and Objectives

The Mission of Acacia is to:

Improve the lives of mothers and families affected by pre- and post- natal depression (PND).

Strategic Aims:

To achieve this, we:

  • Provide high quality, community-based support services to those affected by PND
  • Raise awareness of PND amongst health professionals and members of the communities we work in
  • Recruit and train local people to provide volunteer-led support services.

Aim One: Provide high quality, community-based support services to those affected by PND

Specific Objectives:

  1. To continue to provide a community based post natal support service in Walmley for women and their families in Sutton Coldfield affected by post natal depression that includes:
    • Weekly level one befriending
    • Sign-posting service and information / resource library
    • Baby massage sessions
    • Free crèche for service users
    • Mothers' pamper service.
  2. To create a new service for women and families in the Kingstanding area affected by PND that adapts the model and services offered in Walmley.
  3. To create a new service for women and families in East Birmingham affected by PND that adapts the model and services offered in Walmley.
  4. To offer a telephone helpline/listening service for mums across our 3 areas of delivery that is staffed by a team of trained volunteers.
  5. To offer 8 school holiday family activity sessions throughout the year
  6. To offer Social events per year (recovery meals) for recovered mums and previous service users.
  7. Based on research and needs analysis, identify where the next Acacia centre will be situated.

Aim Two: Raise awareness of PND amongst health professionals and members of the communities we work in

Specific Objectives:

  1. Develop appropriate publicity materials including an awareness raising film, written materials, events and awareness raising sessions.
  2. To develop a ‘Friends of' Acacia that promotes and supports the organisation.
  3. To extend our PND support to husbands, partners, grandparents and extended family members by delivering 2 support sessions per year (evenings) aimed at informing and supporting partners and extended family members about Acacia and about PND.

Aim Three: Recruit and train local people to provide volunteer-led support services

Specific Objectives:

  1. To develop and offer a twice yearly training course for Acacia befrienders and continue to offer a high quality support package to all volunteers.
  2. To extend the pastoral care offered to befrienders
  3. To explore accreditation of the training modules and increase the number of training courses per year. 

The Charitable Objective:

The Charitable Objective of Acacia is the preservation and protection of good health by the support of mothers and their families affected by symptoms associated with pre- and post-natal depression, and to enhance the development and education of children primarily under statutory school age by encouraging parents to understand and provide for the needs of their children through community groups.