Current opportunities to get involved

We are looking for women and birthing people from a wide range of backgrounds to bring their lived experiences of accessing mental health support during pregnancy and up to their child’s 2nd birthday, to help shape and improve local perinatal mental health services. This work is led by NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB, with support from our local Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP).

Involvement

We are looking for women to help us assess and mark proposals from VCSE organisations to deliver support for women and birthing people’s mental health, both during pregnancy and beyond.

We are inviting women and birthing people to assess the proposals who:

• identify as Black or Brown
• identify as Asian
• are of mixed heritage
• are asylum seekers, refugees or migrants
• are within the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community
• have experience of the care system.

The role involves reviewing proposals from VCSE and charitable organisations and participating in a panel to discuss these proposals and decide, alongside other panel members, which organisations should be awarded a grant agreement. The panel meetings and training sessions will take place on Microsoft Teams.

You would be part of a panel of 9 people assessing all the proposals.

Time commitment

• Pre-panel training – 30-minute training session (MS Teams), taking place in the week commencing 9 February
• Marking all proposals – up to 1 day
• Participation on the panel – Tuesday 17 March, 1pm to 4:30pm (MS Teams)

 Desired experience and skills

• Experience of receiving support for mental health from services in Bristol, North Somerset or South Gloucestershire
• Ready to share ideas and opinions, ask questions and raise any challenges or concerns

Reimbursement of expenses and recognition fee

This role comes with a recognition fee of £25 per hour for attending meetings, marking proposals, plus any required travel expenses.

You need to check how this will affect any benefits that you get. If it will affect your benefits, we can pay you in a different way, for example, with vouchers.

Support

Talking about our own health and sharing those experiences can bring up lots of feelings. Lived Experience Advisors will be supported throughout by a team member who works within the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care System.

Lived Experience Advisors will meet this contact before the first meeting, giving them the opportunity to ask any questions. Wherever possible, they will continue to have contact with the same person throughout their involvement.

General support and reasonable adjustments can be provided as needed, ensuring that Lived Experience Advisors are able to participate fully.

How to apply

If you are interested in taking part in this project, please send a short paragraph outlining any experience and skills you can bring to the project to MNVP@bnssg.co.uk.

The deadline for the application is 5pm, Monday 2 February 2026.

Please let us know in your email your preferred language and if you require an interpreter.

Join the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership Committee as a volunteer member and be a part of the change in improving local maternity services.

The Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) has a committed group of volunteer members who help to co-produce and review service user leaflets and information, attend focus groups, join staff interview panels and much more.

If you are interested in joining the committee please complete the membership form. Alternatively, you can contact the team by email at mnvp@bnssg.co.uk.

Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire Maternity & Neonatal Voices Membership Form