Supporting the midwifery community in times of personal crisis
By Gill Walton on 06 September 2024
RCM Chief Executive Gill Walton likes a challenge – and this year she’s undertaking two coast-to-coast bike rides on behalf of Cavell, the charity for midwives, MSWs and MCAs in need.
A midwife member, some time ago, told me how grateful she was that financial support from the RCM charity, Cavell, essentially saved her life. She had to leave her home due to an abusive partner and furnishing a rented flat for her and a small child was near on impossible. The money she received from Cavell bought a cooker and fridge. She has not looked back, although she lived through some pretty desperate times. Cavell also provided some support and guidance around benefits she was entitled to. Her story is sadly not uncommon.
In that moment, I made up my mind that I would personally raise money for Cavell, to support midwives and MSWs in need, and encourage our members to do the same.
Our partnership with Cavell started in 2018 when we asked them to manage the RCM Benevolent Fund. Their involvement means we can help more members, not just with grant applications but more broadly. Cavell is a much bigger organisation with access to advice and support. They’re also able to signpost to other organisations as well as grants for those who might need something broader than Cavell can offer. Importantly, they also have a lot more fundraising expertise, something we were really struggling with.
Supporting our midwives, MSWs, MCAs and student midwives is fundamental to the RCM. While we do that with all our professional resources and workplace support, we know that sometimes it’s what’s going on outside of work that can have a massive impact. Just like the member who spoke to me, many of us experience life-changing events, some of us can’t get to work because the car has broken down and there’s no money to pay for it. That’s where the support from Cavell comes in. And that’s why I have committed the RCM not just to raising the profile of Cavell among our members, but raising money as well, including at meetings, conferences, IDM, through branches and individual members.
I first raised money for Cavell in 2018, cycling through France on an organised charity event. It was tough but definitely worth it! I’m still cycling, a bit slower now and I moan more about my aches and pains! This year I’ve committed to two coast-to-coast rides (mad!). I did the north coast-to-coast across the Pennines in May, and it was brutal! Now I’m doing another coast-to-coast, this time in the south, starting in the Ilfracombe, under the Damien Hirst statue of Verity, to Plymouth - hopefully less brutal, less wind and more food!
No-one knows when they will be hit by a crisis. Support, including a grant, may be a last resort, but for many people it starts a path to recovery. Please help your fellow midwives, MSWs and MCAs if you can. Here is a link to my Just Giving page – and think of me on those hills!