A North Yorkshire mother who endured a life-threatening mental health crisis after the birth of her first child is marking World Mental Health Day today, 10th October, by launching Brighter Skies, a campaign and support initiative co-founded with her husband, Andrew. The initiative aims to drive systemic change in perinatal mental health care while providing practical, local support for new parents across Yorkshire.
In the weeks following the birth of their son, Harlan, 35-year-old Stef Scurr from Thirsk experienced severe postnatal depression, which culminated in a suicide attempt. She and her baby were admitted to Nottingham’s Mother and Baby Unit, the nearest unit with availability after Leeds was full, where Stef stayed for six weeks receiving treatment and working on her recovery.
Having navigated the fragmented support system and the delays in accessing specialist help, Stef and Andrew resolved that no family should feel so lost or unsupported. Stef said, “The reason I launched Brighter Skies is because I endured the abyss, and I don’t want any other mother, father or family to feel so utterly abandoned. If my story can shine a light so someone else finds help earlier, it will all have been worth it.”
Brighter Skies aims to highlight urgent gaps in perinatal support across Yorkshire, particularly within the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust. It also seeks to advocate for embedding mental health midwives and specialist perinatal roles within community teams, create accessible community-based spaces where new families can connect and receive support, and empower those with lived experience to share their stories and influence future care systems.
One of the first steps of the campaign is the establishment of a weekly group in Thirsk, tentatively called Brighter Skies Together. The drop-in space will be open to new and expecting parents and staffed by perinatal experts, including midwives, peer support workers and nurses, alongside those with lived experience. The group will provide emotional and peer support in a nonclinical environment, offer signposting and brief interventions where possible, foster connection so no one feels isolated, and enable early detection with a direct link for those needing more intensive support.
The Scurrs are partnering with local charity The Community Works to launch the first group, while also collaborating with existing local networks to strengthen the support community for new families. They hope these sessions become a trusted, regular lifeline in Thirsk and surrounding villages.
Beyond immediate local impact, Brighter Skies aims to spark lasting change. Stef and Andrew hope that by sharing their experience, mobilising community voices and highlighting structural failures, they can influence health trusts, local authorities and government to ensure early intervention, continuity, professional oversight and peer-based models become standard in perinatal care.
Stef added, “Brighter Skies was born from our own perinatal experience, our struggle and determination to access the care we needed and that every new parent deserves. Early intervention in the perinatal period is not just important; it is lifesaving. We want our story to spark real change, pushing for a system that prioritises mental health and supports families in those crucial early days, weeks and months of parenthood. Because no family deserves to be left in the dark.”
More information about Brighter Skies and perinatal mental health support services is available at www.brighterskies.org.uk.
