KIND-HEARTED midwives working at a Glasgow hospital have been counting their steps in a bid to raise money for mental health support.

A total of 66 midwives from the Princess Royal Maternity Hospital are nearing the end of a fitness challenge that requires them to have walked 100 miles over the month of April.

Jennifer Johansson, who came up with the idea for her and her colleagues, said: “It works out just over 5.3 kilometres a day we have to walk. So, it’s about 8,300 steps or so.

“We’re just trying to fit the walks in between our 12 hours shifts. It doesn’t matter how many steps you’ve done around the house or how many steps you’ve done during your day-to-day work, but as long as everyone gets out a walk somehow and manages to do the required steps every day.

“It helps us clear our heads and de-stress us too.”

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The 40-year-old, from Stepps, has worked at the maternity hospital for the last 15 years.

She added: “I do like my fitness so I do wee challenges every now and again. I did a step challenge with a group of people back in December, that was a mixture of midwives and family members, so we did 100,000 steps in a week, which works out 15,000 a day and we said we should do another challenge.

“So, we thought before the end of lockdown comes and we’re allowed a wee bit more freedom, we should do another.”

So far, more than £4,300 has been raised for the chosen charity – Quarriers’ Maternal Mental Wellbeing Service.

Jennifer said: “Quarriers is a charity based in Glasgow – it does a lot of work with prenatal, antenatal, and postnatal ladies, and their families.

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“During the pandemic, people are needing more support, families are needing more support, and the charity’s funding has been cut.

“We wanted to raise money for women and the support they need for mental health because it is vitally important just now.

“I think raising the money for somewhere that is local is really good, and you know exactly what the money is going towards.

“I’ve spoken to Quarriers and they’re delighted. They told me that they’re going to put the money towards their counselling sessions, because that is one of the funding cuts that they had.

“So the money we raise will be able to provide some more support.”

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The team of midwives have got a Whatsapp group set up where everybody logs their steps to keep a running total.

To donate towards their efforts, in honour of Quarriers, click here.