The free to attend, Wales & South West Maternity & Midwifery Festival 2025 returns to Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday 23 September. There is still time to submit a paper for consideration for inclusion in the conference programme, and also submit an award nomination to recognise and celebrate the excellence, initiative and innovation shown by practising and student maternity healthcare professionals across the region.
_________________________________________________
The free to attend, Wales & South West Maternity & Midwifery Festival 2025 returns to Cardiff on Tuesday 23 September and we hope to see you there!
Secure your free delegate place here.
This professional programme and its associated events bring together qualified and student healthcare professionals to hear from maternity leaders on a wide range of topical themes, to explore the diverse exhibition, to network and help build resilience at a challenging time for the profession.
New for 2025:
Midwifery Education Focus – a 60 minute seminar confronting the realities and exploring the ways forward for teaching new generations of midwives.
Workshops – start the day by learning a new hobby or skill.
_________________________________________________
Call for papers closes soon
This is your last chance to submit presentations for inclusion in the seminar programme – deadline Friday 6 June.
We are looking for examples of best practice and research from across Wales and the South West of England. If you are part of a project or are undertaking innovative work you’d like to share with maternity and midwifery colleagues, then do get in touch.
The call for papers is your opportunity to share your work with colleagues at the event itself and as part of the box set of filmed and audio recorded presentations that will be shared with healthcare professionals across the UK.
Submissions should demonstrate best practice, innovation and research particularly, but not exclusively, in the following areas:
• Listening to parents
• Management and leadership
• Neonatal care
• Women’s health issues
• Improving workplace culture
• Care, compassion and candour
• Improving health outcomes for women, babies and families
• Bringing research into everyday practice
• Learning and developing clinical practice
• International perspectives and projects
• Career spotlight
There are two types of session:
Verbal Presentation: a 30 minute seminar session (15 min presentation/10 mins Q&A)
Visual Presentation: forming part of the academic poster display
Deadline: Friday 6 June 2025
Submitting your paper or poster:
Submitting your paper is free of charge, quick and simple – we just need 300 or so words summarising your work for consideration by our programme curator, Sue Macdonald.
_________________________________________________
Award nominations
Over the past few years midwives, student midwives and allied healthcare professionals have had to adapt and step up in ways that couldn’t have been anticipated before March 2020.
These trailblazer awards are your opportunity to recognise and celebrate the fortitude and resilience, initiative and innovation shown by practising and student maternity healthcare professionals across the UK.
The 3 categories are:
Midwife Education Trailblazer
Has a midwifery lecturer shown exceptional leadership during the past year? Have they inspired and motivated you to achieve your very best and supported you when the going got tough? Would you like their commitment and dedication to be recognised amongst their peers around the UK?
Midwifery Practice leader Trailblazer
Has a midwifery leader in your trust shown exceptional leadership during the past year? Have they inspired and motivated you to achieve your very best and supported you when the going got tough? Would you like their commitment and dedication to be recognised amongst their peers around the UK?
Student Midwife Trailblazer
Do you know a student midwife that has individually made a difference to practice, study or in the community or with charities or has helped colleagues, organised online support, worked with tutors to make blended learning work? Or are you that student?
Why not nominate yourself? Awards will be presented at the Festival on Tuesday 23 September.
Nominating is free of charge, quick and simple. Just send us a video file or word document of 300 words to register your nomination.
Find out more and submit your nomination here.
_________________________________________________
We look forward to seeing you in Cardiff in September!
The Maternity & Midwifery Festival Team
June 2025