‘Messiah’ Award goes to Becoming Families
In 2025, inspired by the philanthropic origins of Handel’s Messiah, WCF partnered with Worcester Festival Choral Society to create a Messiah Fund. Funds raised from their annual performance of Messiah will support local causes for children and young people, education, health and wellbeing.
Becoming Families is one of the first recipients of this new Fund.
Jo Lederer, Co-Founder, Service Lead, Perinatal Practitioner said:
“We are delighted to receive this award, which will be spent on developing and delivering Early Pregnancy Workshops. Early pregnancy is often a time of anxiety when parents have many questions but are not yet being seen regularly by a midwife. Through our workshops we will be able to provide a space to share worries and receive education around healthy pregnancy, birth and parenting. For those struggling with their mental health, we can offer support and signpost to other services to ensure early intervention. Crucially, they will be a place to meet other expectant parents for peer support and friendship, ensuring mothers and fathers don’t feel isolated but well supported in their journey to parenthood.”
About Becoming Families
Becoming Families supports parents during the first 1001 days, from pregnancy through to a child’s second birthday. This important period can bring both joy and significant challenges, and Becoming Families provides a wide range of services to support emotional wellbeing and strong parent-infant relationships. Each year, the organisation supports around 400 families across Worcestershire.
With support from the Messiah Fund, Becoming Families will be developing and delivering Early Pregnancy Workshops, designed to support parents during the early stages of pregnancy.
Early pregnancy is often a time when parents have many questions but may not yet be receiving regular support from a midwife. These workshops will provide a safe and welcoming space where expectant parents can share concerns, access guidance around healthy pregnancy, birth and early parenting, and receive support for their emotional wellbeing.
The workshops will also play an important role in reducing isolation, helping parents to connect with others who are at a similar stage in their journey and build supportive peer relationships.
For parents who may be struggling with their mental health, Becoming Families can also offer additional support and signposting to other services, ensuring early intervention where it is needed most.
This funding will enable Becoming Families to strengthen its early support offer, ensuring that more families feel informed, supported and connected as they begin their journey into parenthood.
Visit our Messiah Fund page here.
To find out more about Becoming Families go to: https://www.becomingfamilies.co.uk/
For more information about the Worcester Festival Choral Society go to: https://www.wfcs.online/
