More about The Folkey Birth Club

Can anyone join?

If you live locally to Folkestone/ South East Kent and are pregnant OR have relevant experience/ skills to share with those that are. Then yes!

All are welcome.

Why/how is everything free to Join?

Strictly speaking, it’s not free. Everyone is contributing by their participation, and invited to donate financially when they can, if they are able. But it is important that cost is not a barrier to those who are unable to contribute financially, and that everyone feels equally valuable in what they bring as experts on themselves. That’s why we fundraise rather than charge to enable this project; we think the spirit of true reciprocal community investment and care-the very thing that makes this work- is lost when monetised. We’ve seen the benefits of returning pregnancy and birth care to the community and want to see more. Lay support is our jam as doulas but we know we’re just two people.
Its power is multiplied by being in community.

Well supported pregnancies, births and postpartums have better outcomes and lead to healthier and happier parents, healthier and happier babies, healthier and happier people, healthier and happier communities. Everyone wins. Community is not a product and we don’t intend to market it. The aim of our work is the improved health and wellbeing of our whole community. Including ours.

Why do we need/ How do we spend donations?

We apply for grant funds from charities, grant making trusts and organisations like our town and district council in order to keep running the projects that make up Folkey Birth Club. From this funding we are able to partly cover costs: venue hire, facilitation and guest specialist fees and some money towards refreshments offered. Community donations are used to fill in the gaps in covering these costs and to cover annual or one off expenses like website fees, insurance and the donation card reader, for example. Facilitation and specialist fees are all set to reasonable, market average rates, and along with any budgets and expenditure are agreed by our Board.

As a CIC we are not for profit and for the benefit of the community. Accounts are publicly available annually after filing with Companies House. The majority of the work to coordinate and run Folkey Birth Club is done on a voluntary basis, from our core team peddling behind the scenes to fund raise and keep things running, to all the members who share their stories, wisdom and experience with each other every day.  

What is the FBC philosophy?

You are the expert in you.

We believe that people’s instincts and personal priorities deserve to be listened to and that their outcomes and satisfaction are better when they are given that opportunity.

We believe that everyone who wants to should have access to good quality perinatal education, understand how the maternity care system works and how to navigate it, be given care that centres them as whole, complex individuals.

Absolutely everything is your choice, and the things that motivate our choices are deeply varied and personal. There is nothing you have to do.

You don’t have to be planning a particular birth, have a particular philosophy or want to get a particular thing out of it. It is just an opportunity to meet others in the community and benefit from peer support and wisdom. You’re giving back just by showing up, asking your questions and sharing your experience.

For the meet ups, we always appreciate knowing who to expect on the day, so if you could send a DM or email then that would be great.