Connected Perinatal Support

About Connected

In June 2021, Connected became an independent, not-for-profit organisation and since then, has continued to build a safe and sustainable support service for those in the local community. Wanting to develop and continue with their original programmes and business growth, Connected reached out to the University of Derby to see if they could receive any support for their future.  

Accessing support from the university 

After being commissioned to undertake a piece of engagement work surrounding maternal mental health, loss, and trauma, Connected reached out to the University of Derby. Since the initial meeting, our Business Services team has been able to offer a wide range of support and funding that has been vital in helping Connected achieve their full potential. Shelley McBride, Perinatal Support Manager & Programme Director explains:

“The process [of applying for support] was super easy, we have been supported and guided by the team at every point – and they have always been on hand with any questions or concerns.”  

Shelley and the team have been working with our Knowledge Exchange Manager/Business Mentor, Robin Pepper for over a year and have shared lots of praise for the consultancy work.   

“Robin is respectful and understanding of our roles and has helped us to develop confidence and new learning with some of our business goals – such as outcomes and objectives. He is clearly very experienced and knowledgeable within his area of expertise and has gone above and beyond to support us as we navigate what could have been potentially a very overwhelming experience.”   

When Connected started on their journey with the University, their original aim was to secure core funding for their Derby Programme. With our support, Connected have made significant progress towards their goals and has also developed future goals that are focused on organisational growth, development and increasing accessibility to perinatal peer support for more parents, both locally and nationally.  

Expanding skills within the team 

The Productivity through Innovation (PtI) programme has also been able to offer funding and recruitment support to help businesses employ graduates and undergraduates as interns for up to 400 hours. As a newly established organisation delivering an already established service, the team at Connected decided that they wanted to undergo a complete name change and brand transformation.  

With the support of the PtI programme, Connected was able to achieve their goals by hiring an undergraduate Intern. Through a fully funded 80-hour contract, a student from the University of Derby helped the organisation create a new website and invaluable marketing materials, such as business cards, roller banners, posters, social media content, and templates for future use.  

As Connected continues to work with the University of Derby, their business aims remain to be focused on organisational growth and increasing accessibility to perinatal peer support for more parents, both locally and nationally.

Contact us to find out more