An online petition calling for the allowing of partners to be present durning the entirety of labour and births at hospitals has been gaining traction across the UK this weekend.
The natiowide petition – which was started by Holly Avis on change.org – currently has over 183,000 signatures, with the number continuing to rise every minute, and it was also reported live on Hits Radio Manchester this morning that a significant number of signatures on this petition came from residents in the Greater Manchester area.
Due to safety measures amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, restrictions have been placed on the amount of time that birthing partners are allowed to be present before, during and after births.
According to the official Pregnancy & COVID-19 guidance as stated on the NHS website, a birthing partner is “important for your safety and wellbeing during labour and birth” and “you’ll be able to have a birth partner during labour and the birth”, but only “if they do not have symptoms of coronavirus”.
It does however go on to confirm that “there may be limits on how long they can stay after the birth.”
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The guidance continues: “If your birth partner has symptoms, they may not be able to come with you [and] you might want to have a backup birth partner just in case.”
Providing her standpoint and giving her reasons for starting the petition in the change.org description, Holly Avis states: “I want to change the restrictions on partners being allowed in early labour/birth and after birth in maternity wards and hospitals around the country, to allow your chosen birth partner to be with you from the very start of labour to the very moment you are allowed to go home and also for scans and appointments.”
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She particularly expresses concern and frustration that “these rules are not consistent around the country”, citing how different restrictions apply at different hospitals, and states that “not having the partner there from the start puts [the mother] at risk of being alone in a horrendous situation”.
She does clarify she is “not saying we should open the wards to all visitors… but I don’t see why if your partner is allowed to be with you for part of the birth, they can not be present for all.”
Ms Avis closes out the statement urging members of the public to show their support by signing the petition as she feels it is “absolutely ludicrous to have shops open, to allow socialising in bubbles of six people that do not live together, but keep this rule in place.”
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Given that these restrictions have been in place for several months during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, there are also other similar petitions – both on change.org and the official UK Government and Parliament Petitions website – which appear to have been set up during these uncertain times and are too calling for the same actions to be taken to allow for the presence of birthing partners.
These petitions have also seen and continue to see nationwide support.
If you would like to sign the petition – ‘Partners allowed for entirety of labour/birth in ALL hospitals’ – then you can find more information via the change.org website here.
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First look images released of new BBC drama series from Happy Valley creator filmed in Yorkshire
Emily Sergeant
A new BBC series telling the story of five women who come together to create a makeshift punk-rock band is set to air later this year.
Riot Women, the brand-new drama from the multi-BAFTA award-winning writer Sally Wainwright – best known for being the creator of Happy Valley – is a six-part series set and filmed in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.
First look pictures of the new show have now been released.
Starring Joanna Scanlan, Rosalie Craig, Tamsin Greig, Lorraine Ashbourne, and Amelia Bullmore as band members, alongside a talented supporting cast consisting of Taj Atwal, Chandeep Uppal, and Macy-Jacob Seelochan as the band’s riotous backing singers, the newly-released pictures show the women in action.
First look images have been released of a new BBC drama series filmed in Yorkshire / Credit: BBC
According to a synopsis on the BBC website, Riot Women dives headfirst into the world of five women who come together to create a makeshift punk-rock band in order to enter a local talent contest.
But, in writing their first original song, they soon discover that they have a lot more to say than planned – and this is their way to say it.
As they juggle demanding jobs, grown-up children, complicated parents, husbands who’ve buggered off, and disastrous dates, and relationships, the band becomes a catalyst for change in their lives, and it’s going to make them question everything.
📸 Here's your first look at Riot Women – the new drama from Sally Wainwright coming to @BBCiPlayer and @BBCOne in 2025
New pictures feature Joanna Scanlan, Rosalie Craig, Tamsin Greig, Lorraine Ashbourne, Amelia Bullmore, and more
Creators and producers say the show is a testament to the power of friendship, music, and the resilience of women who “refuse to be silenced by age or expectation”.
Speaking ahead of the show airing later this year, Riot Women creator, Sally Wainwright, commented: “I’m having a whole new buzz of excitement about the show as we bring it together in the edit, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone.”
Riot Women will premiere on BBC One and iPlayer in the UK later this year.
Featured Image – BBC
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A Manchester barbershop is offering a ‘pay what you can’ service this month
Danny Jones
Amidst the tidal wave of January deals on food and drink in Manchester, a local barbers is championing their own ‘pay what you can’ offer to help people along this month.
Jefe’s Barbershop, located in the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter, is one of the best barbers in the city centre, offering a wide variety of cuts and facial hair grooming services – they even offer a subscription service that helps people save money on regular trims.
That being said, they are well aware of those January blues and the mounting obstacles and anxieties that come with weeks of penny-pinching to make it to month’s end, as well as the general toll it can take on people’s mental health.
So this January, Jefe and his team are doing something different – as he puts it, “something special”: the barbershop is allowing customers to simply pay what they feel comfortable handing over and, in the case of those struggling, whatever they can afford.
It’s a simple gesture with a big purpose which helps ensure no one has to miss out on a feel-good moment or the confidence that comes from a fresh trim.
“All we do is laugh and joke about life—that’s why people come here,” Jefe explains. “I don’t want anyone to lose the chance to be present, to feel good, and to laugh with us.
“Men often need more help than they’re willing to let on and we want to be a helping hand they can rely on.” Now that’s a cause all of us can and should get behind.
Community support has remained at the core of Jefe’s Barbershop since the beginning when he swapped a basketball career for providing a much-needed service to Mancunian men.
From partnering with Manc sandwich shops and offering free haircuts for the homeless, to hosting street parties with local events companies and providing £5 trims to promote men’s mental health in 2023 when the cost of living crisis really kicked in – Jefe’s is always trying to make a difference in the area.
You’ve got to love businesses that go the extra mile.
If you want to make the most of this wholesome deal or just feel like you’re in need of a trim, you can book HERE or call them directly on 0161 818 7659.
The ‘pay what you can’ offer runs Monday to Thursday, 9am-7pm, subject to availability. You’ll find Jefe’s Barbershop on Stevenson Square
Because as the man himself puts it, “Everyone deserves to feel their best”.
The Manc -
24th August 2020 
