24^th January 2022: Huggies® has announced its partnership with PANDAS, a charity providing mental health support to families struggling with perinatal mental illness, to develop a new 24/7 text support service.  

Perinatal mental health has been detrimentally impacted by the Covid-19 crisis. Cancellations to prenatal courses and adjustments to birth plans paired with the social isolation and loneliness during the perinatal period has increased anxiety. The impact has been directly seen by the PANDAS charity who, in 2021, provided support for over 10,000 parents through their free helpline and email support service, the highest number on record. A figure which is unfortunately predicted to increase even further in 2022. As part of its purpose to help parents across the UK navigate the unknowns of babyhood, Huggies is working with PANDAS to launch a free, accessible, 24/7, confidential text support service for any parent or carer struggling to cope.

Launching on the 24^th January 2022, the service will connect parents or carers to a trained volunteer by texting the word ‘PANDAS’ to 85258. The text service seeks to provide solutions for anyone feeling anxious, stressed, lonely, depressed, suicidal or overwhelmed.

Stephanie Madrell, Marketing Manager at Huggies, said: “We are proud to be working with The PANDAS Foundation - their mission to support families aligns perfectly with our Huggies purpose of helping parents navigate the unknowns of babyhood. We know parenting is hard, there is no manual and we want to support families through their journey, and working with PANDAS to launch their new text service will enable us to do that. This new offering is just the first step of an exciting partnership with PANDAS, and we look forward to working with them throughout 2022 to continue to find new ways to support families.”

Sally Bunkham, Communications and Development Manager at PANDAS, said: “We are delighted to be able to launch this service, and know it will help so many. Parents and carers often need support and advice at unsociable hours like the middle of the night, so a service like this has the potential to be incredibly well utilised. We are so grateful for the support we’ve received from Huggies, which has allowed us to get this project off the ground, and so pleased we can add it to the portfolio of support services PANDAS offers, to help ensure that no parent or carer feels alone.” 

From 24th January 2022, to start a conversation:

• Text the word ‘PANDAS’ to 85258
• You’ll then receive four automated messages before being connected to a trained volunteer
• Once connected, the volunteer will listen to anything that is troubling you, providing support and signposting to services where appropriate

The service is free, anonymous and doesn’t appear on phone bills. Users don’t need to register, download an app or use mobile data.

The new service will run alongside The PANDAS Foundation’s support services, which include a free helpline open between 11am – 10pm daily on 0808 1961 776, email support service and peer to peer support groups (digital and face to face).

To find out more please visit www.pandasfoundation.org.uk

About the Huggies® Brand 
For more than 40 years, Huggies® has been helping parents provide love, care and reassurance to their babies. From developing innovative everyday products, to recently partnering with one of the UK’s biggest pregnancy brands, Emma’s Diary, and supporting new mums from the first day of their new journey into parenthood, Huggies® promises to be there with you every step of the way. For more information on Huggies visit huggies.co.uk or to shop the range visit huggiesdirect.co.uk