King’s Award for Voluntary Service – Bethel Birmingham

by | 21/ Nov/ 2025 | Blog | 0 comments

Bethel Health & Healing Network receives the King's Award for Voluntary Service in Birmingham.

Bethel Health & Healing Network receives The King’s Award for Voluntary Service

Birmingham, UK – November 2025

Bethel Health & Healing Network, a charity based in Nechells, Birmingham, has been honoured with the King’s Award for Voluntary Service – the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK, often described as the “MBE for volunteer groups”.

Supporting local families and mental health in Birmingham

From its base at Bloomsbury Health Centre, 63 Rupert Street, Nechells, B7 5DT, Bethel Health & Healing Network provides community-based support to people facing poverty, unstable housing, immigration issues, mental ill-health and social isolation.

In the last year, our volunteers have:

  • Supported over 500 service users across all services

  • Delivered 1,800+ support sessions, including home visits, one-to-one appointments and group activities

  • Received over 500 new referrals from midwives, GPs, mental health teams and community partners

Through the Doula Service, senior doulas and volunteer Doula Connectors provide emotional and practical support during pregnancy, labour and the postnatal period, including advocacy at hospital appointments, birth support and essentials for mother and baby.

The Rapha Listening Service offers up to nine sessions of one-to-one, non-judgemental listening. Many service users are referred with low mood, anxiety or depression and are waiting for, or alongside, NHS mental health support.

Volunteers at the heart of Bethel’s impact

The King’s Award for Voluntary Service specifically celebrates groups where volunteers are central to service delivery. At Bethel, volunteers power much of the day-to-day support offered to local communities.

In the last year:

  • 40 Volunteers have been active in the Doula and Rapha services

  • Volunteers delivered over 300 support sessions, from listening calls to in-person groups and events

Volunteer roles include:

  • Volunteer Doula Connectors, who walk alongside vulnerable mothers at home, in clinics and on maternity wards

  • Rapha Listening Volunteers, who offer structured, confidential listening sessions by phone and online to people across the West Midlands

Many volunteers live in Birmingham and the wider West Midlands and reflect the cultural and linguistic diversity of the city, supporting service users from more than 40 countries of birth, including the UK, Pakistan, Eritrea, India and Nigeria.

“A tribute to our volunteers and our communities”

Jennifer Jones-Rigby, CEO of Bethel Health & Healing Network, said:

“We are absolutely delighted to receive The King’s Award for Voluntary Service. This honour belongs first and foremost to our volunteers, who give their time, skills and compassion week after week. Whether supporting a mother through a difficult birth or listening to someone in crisis over the phone, they make a real difference to people’s lives across Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull.”

She added:

“At a time when many public services are under pressure, community-based support is more important than ever. This Award recognises that local volunteers, working in partnership with the NHS, local authorities and community organisations, can help reduce health inequalities and create safer, healthier neighbourhoods.”

What the King’s Award for Voluntary Service means for Bethel

The King’s Award for Voluntary Service is a powerful affirmation of what Bethel has been building in Birmingham and the wider West Midlands for many years,  a trusted, community-based network of support for people who might otherwise fall through the gaps. It recognises not just one project, but the combined impact of our volunteer doulas, listeners and champions who walk alongside families, neighbours and friends every day.

For our volunteers, the Award is a public “thank you” that says their time, compassion and lived experience are changing lives. Many give their evenings, weekends and working days to support women through pregnancy and birth, or to listen to someone facing anxiety, grief or isolation. This recognition honours their dedication and the strength of the communities they come from.

For Bethel as a charity, the Award strengthens our voice when we speak up about health inequalities in Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull. It shows partners, funders and local services that are investing in grassroots, volunteer-driven support works, and that together we can reach people that statutory services alone may struggle to reach. It also inspires us to keep growing safe, high-quality opportunities for local people to volunteer, learn new skills and move into employment within health and care.

Looking ahead: growing health and wellbeing support in the West Midlands

The Award comes at a time of growth and innovation for Bethel. Over the last two years, the charity has:

  • Opened its new place of Wellbeing and Welcome at Bloomsbury Health Centre in Nechells

  • Launched the West Birmingham Health Champions programme, creating pathways into employment for local people who volunteer as Doula Champions and Rapha Champions

  • Expanded group work, including Bumps, Birth & Beyond, Connect, Stay & Play and the Young Mums (YUMS) project, which offer peer support, health education and social connection for mothers and families

Over the coming year Bethel plans to:

  • Train more volunteer doulas and listeners from local communities

  • Deepen partnerships with hospitals, GP practices, mental health services and community organisations

  • Develop additional income streams, including a private doula platform that helps fund baby packs and free support for the most vulnerable mothers

How to get involved

Bethel Health & Healing Network is inviting local people, professionals and organisations across Birmingham, Sandwell, Solihull and the wider West Midlands to celebrate this Award and get involved.

You can:

  • Volunteer as a Doula Connector or Rapha Listener – training and supervision are provided

  • Partner with Bethel as a referrer or delivery partner for maternity, mental health and wellbeing projects

  • Support the work through donations, fundraising, grants or in-kind support

Find out more:

Volunteer

As a Doula Champion, you might accompany expectant mothers to prenatal appointments, provide birthing support if needed, help new mums with newborn care and breastfeeding, and ensure they attend their 6-week postnatal checks. You become a trusted companion and advocate for mothers who might otherwise be alone or uncertain.

This will close in 0 seconds

You will receive accredited doula training from experienced professionals (led by an ex-NHS midwife) , covering birth coaching, maternal health, and safeguarding. By the end, you’ll be equipped with the skills and
confidence to support women one-on-one.

This will close in 0 seconds

This pathway is ideal if you are interested in maternity care or midwifery. It offers invaluable hands-on experience – from attending births (optionally) to postpartum support – giving you a taste of a career in maternal health. Many Doula Champions use this experience as a springboard into NHS roles, midwifery training, or paid doula work in the future.

This will close in 0 seconds

Key activities: You will provide one-to-one support through active listening sessions – this could be over the phone, via video call, or in person. You let people share their feelings, and you offer empathy and guidance towards further help if needed (such as suggesting community services). Often, just being there to listen can make a huge difference.

This will close in 0 seconds

Training provided: You will undergo intensive training in reflective listening and mental health first response. Our training (often delivered via Zoom over a series of sessions) will teach you how to handle sensitive conversations, maintain confidentiality, and know your boundaries . By completion, you’ll be a certified listening volunteer with skills applicable to counseling or psychology fields.

This will close in 0 seconds

Emphasize volunteer scope: Rapha Champions commit to at least an hour per week of listening support for a client after training , which can often be arranged flexibly. You might have regular weekly calls with a client for a period of time. There are also opportunities to facilitate group sessions or community support groups as you grow in experience.

This will close in 0 seconds

Benefits and career pathways: This pathway is perfect if you’re interested in mental health, counseling, or social work. The experience you gain – in communication, empathy, and understanding mental health – is highly relevant to careers in counseling, psychotherapy, mental health nursing, or community support roles. Rapha Champions have a pathway to progress into formal counseling courses or mental health roles in the NHS or voluntary sector.” (For example, mention “You could go on to become a paid listening service coordinator or pursue qualifications in therapy – the programme can open these doors.

This will close in 0 seconds