Midwives star in Christmas single to help all children have the best start

Pictures show: L to R: UHD Midwifery Ambassador Jillian Ireland and Jane Morley

Two Poole midwifery ambassadors have joined forces with "Queen of Lovers Rock" Carroll Thompson and 50 of their peers for a charity single as a "Carroll of Hope".

Jillian Ireland and Jane Morley-Smith took part in the cover of 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow', which celebrates midwives who have helped birth more than 500,000 babies across the UK since the first lockdown.

It is part of a campaign to raise £500,000 via GoFundMe for early years charity Best Beginnings - one pound for each baby born since the beginning of the pandemic.

Jillian said: "We enjoyed recording the song together and I'm really proud that it will help to provide Best Beginnings with funds to reach out to families who will benefit directly from us singing alone into our 'phones in our downstairs toilets (for the acoustics!)."

Jane said: "I had no idea that 'a bit of fun' singing as a virtual choir with my fellow Midwifery Ambassadors to raise our spirits, would snowball into this!

"I had a lump in my throat and incredible butterflies when it was announced that Carroll Thompson had been working behind the scenes to record this and release as a charity single! I'm so proud to be a part of it and proud of my Ambassador team who have put their hearts and souls into this.

Both women said the campaign was incredibly important to them because the charity was committed to reaching those less advantaged in society.

Jillian said: "The NHS is for everyone and some families need more help to access services which will benefit them for life."

Jane said: "As a midwife on the front line, we only get a tiny amount of time with new families to answer their questions or provide them with evidence based information, so to know they have another source for this at the times its required helps us to signpost families too."

The money will help Best Beginnings launch a new version of its multi-award-winning Baby Buddy app - an NHS approved pregnancy and parenting app which has supported more than quarter of a million parents across the UK.

The midwives featured on the single are from the Midwifery Ambassadors Choir, which helps their own wellbeing and celebrates the work of colleagues.