Diana Parkinson MBE

2019 | New Year Honours

Diana Parkinson MBE, For services to Women Prisoners

Diana Parkinson has been at the forefront of providing support for disadvantaged women in prisons for over twenty years through the charity, Birth Companions, which she co-founded in 1996. She was inspired to establish the charity after a group of antenatal teachers were moved by a campaign to stop the use of handcuffs for women in labour. The charity provides practical and emotional support to pregnant women and new mothers in prison. Birth Companions also supports women who have been trafficked, abused, or face other serious challenges in their lives, working closely with local authorities to receive referrals, and has been highly innovative in also offering support via an online training service for midwives. She received an MBE in the New Year Honours List 2019.