A grant from the Friends of Serve and Protect Community Fund has ensured the continuation of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Defence Women’s Network’s (DWN) annual Perinatal Festival.
The funding not only saved the event from potential cancellation due to public sector budget constraints, but also enabled an expansion and the delivery of support to servicewomen across both the North and South of the country.
Overcoming the barriers of public sector funding
The landscape of public sector finance often comes with challenges. Recent years have seen yet more pressure added to internal budgets of public sector organisation, which, for many networks and employee support groups, creates a worrying situation. In-person wellbeing events are the first to be scaled back or sacrificed entirely. The Defence Perinatal Festival, despite its high value to the workforce, was not immune to these pressures.
Co-Founder of the Defence Women’s Network Emily Fisher spoke of her concerns before benefitting from the support of Serve and Protect. “At the Ministry of Defence Women’s Network, this is a priority event that we hold on an annual basis and one of the few initiatives we are able to host in-person throughout the year,” she explained. “Without the grant provided via the Community Fund, we ran the risk of having to cancel this year’s festival due to the ongoing constraints within public sector funding.”
Cancellation of the event would have left a void in the support structure for servicewomen. The perinatal journey is rarely straightforward, but in a military context it involves unique stressors ranging from the physical demands of service to the logistical complexities of leave and reintegration into a high-pressure environment. The loss of this platform would stunt the growth and reach that the DWN has worked to establish.
Expanding the scope of support
Whilst the primary goal of the grant was to ensure the festival’s survival, the funding from the Friends of Serve and Protect Community Fund ultimately allowed the Perinatal Festival to exceed its original scope. Budgets in previous years had only allowed for a centralised event, potentially excluding those in more northern or southern locations.
For the 2025 festival, the Community Fund enabled significant development. The increased budget gave the DWN the flexibility to onboard subject matter experts and fund their travel to multiple venues, raising awareness of perinatal within the MOD and showcasing a platform for safe networking. This meant that the network was able to host two distinct events with a shared agenda, held in both the North and South of the country, which resulted in improved accessibility for servicewomen and removed the barrier of geographical location.
Emily Fisher noted the impact an expansion had on the community: “By collaborating with Serve and Protect, we were able to offer not one but two events with a similar agenda and attendance, both in the North and South of the country. This was another first for the MOD and Defence Perinatal Festival, which was received by our community as a highlight, in retaining accessibility for our Servicewomen.”
Expert guidance and the power of safe networking
The festival is designed to be an interactive, inclusive support platform, rather than simply a series of presentations. Support from the Community Fund provided the resources necessary to continue this specialised guidance on perinatal health, mental wellbeing, and career navigation. Again, these experts were now able to travel to multiple venues, ensuring a consistent quality of information across the northern and southern events.
Beyond technical expertise, the festival provides a valuable opportunity for safe networking. In an organisation as large and as national as the MOD, a community of peers who truly understand the intersection of military life and motherhood can be a lifeline. The festival creates a secure environment where women can share experiences, voice concerns, and build the resilience needed to manage the pre- and post-natal journey effectively.
A partnership built on alliance
The success of the 2025 festival demonstrates the importance of external partnerships in supporting the welfare of those who serve our nation. The relationship between the Defence Women’s Network and Friends of Serve and Protect stems from a shared mission to improve the lives of the UK armed forces community. By recognising a critical need and providing the resources to meet it, the Friends of Serve and Protect Community Fund has played a direct role in the retention and wellbeing of women in defence.
“To summarise, securing sponsorship through the Community Fund gave us flexibility to onboard subject matter experts, travel to multiple venues, raise the awareness of perinatal within our organisations and showcase a platform for safe networking,” said Emily. “It has been a privilege to co-deliver this event with the Serve and Protect team, who are exemplary in their commitment to allyship and advocacy. We can’t thank you enough.”
About the Friends of Serve and Protect Community Fund
Friends of Serve and Protect is an incorporated association established for the benefit of individuals, organisations and communities served by Serve and Protect Credit Union. Funded by the Friends of Serve and Protect Lottery, Reg No – 4866, the Community Fund was established in 2024 to provide funding for projects and initiatives that support the greater community good of those who Serve and Protect. From wellbeing spaces to helping injured keyworkers through rehabilitation, the Community Fund helps make a difference to those who need it.
Funding is open to Serve and Protect members and must be for the direct benefit of the Serve and Protect community. For more information, click here.
