27 Jun MORE – Tackling inequalities in maternity care
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27 June 2023
MORE — Tackling inequalities in maternity care
ARC South London’s maternity and perinatal mental health theme has been awarded funding for stage 1 of a co-production study using participatory methods to tackle inequalities in maternity care.
Funding & context
Funded by KERN (King’s Engaged Researcher Network) to support public involvement and engagement. Part of the maternity theme’s commitment to community partnership development and public involvement capacity building.
The project is led by Dr Abigail Easter and a team comprising three peer researchers, psychology and midwifery researchers, and a non-academic PPIE lead. The team will all be trained in Photovoice methodology — a research approach designed to engage people who often do not have much control in aspects of their daily lives, helping them deepen their understanding of an issue and feel empowered.
The provisional name for the project is Maternity Opportunities Research Engagement (MORE).
The maternity and perinatal mental health theme at the Lambeth Listening event.
About Photovoice
Photovoice is based on joint participation in a visual activity. Taking and sharing photographs that have meaning to us allows people in a community to express the concerns and issues that are most important and relevant to them, and to help others understand lived experience and perspectives.
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Create and encourage opportunities for self-expression about pregnancy, birth and early motherhood experiences
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Participants “speak” through photographs to connect with others in their community
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Advocate for change by bringing community voices into the research process
Community partnerships and listening work
After being trained, the team will hold a community involvement listening event with mothers in Lewisham to find out what they feel about working together using Photovoice. This builds on earlier community listening work at a community centre in Brixton, carried out in partnership with:
King’s Maternity Voices Partnership and St Thomas’ Maternity Voices Partnership also publicised the event.
Exhibition of photographs from the MORE project.“We’re building on our growing experience all the time. We’re exploring different ways of doing participatory research with peer researchers and community members and learning so much as we go. We hope to be awarded stage 2 funding, so that we can take forward working with community mothers on themes of importance to them.”
Senior lecturer in maternal and newborn health, King’s College London; deputy lead for the maternity and perinatal mental health research theme, ARC South London
“When peer researchers work with academics, we can build meaningful relationships with community leaders and ensure research is for the community, by the community. Women do want to have their say and to feel they have been listened to and understood. Women often share with me their experiences, and how to improve care for themselves and their families.”
ARC South London maternity and perinatal mental health advisory group member; peer researcher; founder of Mummy’s Day Out
Further information
Facilitating a Photovoice project — what you need to know (external guide, PDF)
Related content
- →
Blog: Doing research within a community — an enriching listening event in Lambeth - →
Patient and public involvement and engagement in maternity and perinatal mental health - →
Investigating maternal and perinatal outcomes among women from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups - →
Maternity and perinatal mental health research at ARC South London
Original source: arc-sl.nihr.ac.uk — NIHR ARC South London legacy content archived May 2026.