Your student news: Winter 2017

By Julie Griffiths on 24 November 2017 Student midwives

What’s new in the student world? Your chance to tell us where you’ve been and what you’ve been up to...

1. BUSMS marks third birthday
Party celebrations
Bangor University Student Midwife Society (BUSMS) held a birthday party on 21 September to celebrate its third birthday. The party also welcomed the new cohort of first-year student midwives; the biggest so far of 33.

All 72 students got together to decide what they would like from the committee in the year ahead. Students voted for a charity to support this year and are pleased to announce they will be supporting The Lullaby Trust. The first raffle at the party raised over £100.

The 2017-18 committee consists of chairperson Laura Thomas, secretary Amy Reid, treasurer Jade Swift, fundraiser Becky Morgan, study day coordinator Rachel Atkins, social secretary Charelle Tilley, and in supportive roles are Lauren Peters and Becky Barclay.

2. Accreditation for Bangor
UNICEF UK BFI 
Bangor University’s bachelor of midwifery programme has achieved Unicef UK Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) accreditation. It is the first midwifery programme in Wales to receive this.

Lead midwife for education Sheila Brown said: ‘The third-year students embraced the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge. This is a testament to their professionalism and commitment to an evidence-based approach to infant feeding.’

3. Elective placements
Student conference
Third-years at Staffordshire University organised a conference where they presented to first- and second-year students about their elective placements. 

Some members of the cohort attended placements in specialist areas, such as teenage pregnancy, perinatal mental heath and sexual health. Others got to experience maternity care in hospitals in Tanzania, Morocco and Canada. 

Sophie Moss, a third-year student who helped to organise the conference, said: ‘It was a fun-filled day and we learnt so much from one another. I was proud to see the confident and compassionate midwives the women in my cohort have become.’

4. Midwifery society uses RCM grant
Breastfeeding study day
Coventry University’s Midwifery Society used the RCM grant to organise and host a successful breastfeeding study day. 

As well as speakers’ fees, the grant covered a small ‘thank-you’ gift for each speaker and the provision of ‘belly balls’ as an infant-feeding support tool for each delegate.

The society said that without the grant, they wouldn’t have been able to attain such high-calibre speakers within specialist areas of breastfeeding.

5. Students’ fair 
RCM staff in attendance
In September, RCM regional officer Lesley Wood and RCM organiser Ralph Mirams attended the Manchester University students’ fair. Third-year student midwives Becca Smalley and Georgie Cocker organised a stand advertising the student midwives society, including a graffiti board where students were encouraged to jot down their hopes and dreams, and a question board for new students.

6. Worcester charity event 
Fundraiser for bereavement suite
The University of Worcester’s Midwifery Society organised a quiz and raffle night at the students’ union to raise funds for a second bereavement suite at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust’s labour ward. 

The students arranged the charity event to help provide more space for families experiencing the tragedy of a late miscarriage, stillbirth or loss of a baby after birth. 

More than 60 people attended and raised over £800, and local companies donated raffle prizes worth over £1500.