RGU Startup Accelerator success for Birth of Brilliance
Tuesday 08 October 2024
For the first time, social enterprise Birth of Brilliance (BoB) will offer a comprehensive childbirth and parenting course to the local community in Aberdeen to help expectant parents feel calm, positive, and prepared during pregnancy and childbirth.
BoB is a success story from Robert Gordon University’s Startup Accelerator programme, that has grown exponentially since receiving funding, training, and mentorship from the university in 2020.
The team of educators and practitioners, has 12 years of experience in the field, and has provided childbirth preparation classes to over 4,000 families and hundreds of practitioners within the NHS, with overwhelmingly positive results.
BoB’s mission is to transform the lives of expectant families and childbirth practitioners through education and the new course being rolled out, will go beyond traditional childbirth education, equipping participants with essential life skills for managing emotions and fostering positive family relationships.
Dr. Mo Tabib, a registered midwife, midwifery lecturer at RGU, and founder of Birth of Brilliance, said: “Our new birthing course will offer crucial parenting skills that can be passed on to the next generation, shaping their development and future behaviour.”
“New and expectant mums across North East Scotland are missing out on vital evidence-based antenatal education that could equip them with practical skills for childbirth and parenting. Research shows such education can improve expectant parents’ childbirth experiences and their psychological wellbeing. As a team of educators, practitioners, and researchers, we have been developing, delivering, and studying the impact of educational interventions on expectant parents and childbirth practitioners for over a decade.
“RGU’s Startup Accelerator programme gave us the confidence and mentorship support to develop the Birth of Brilliance social enterprise in 2020, and we’ve continued to grow exponentially.
“As funding becomes increasingly pressured in the NHS, new and expectant mothers are not receiving the practical childbirth and parenting education they need. That’s why we’ve established a comprehensive Childbirth & Parenting Course for our local community in Aberdeen. Our evidence-based course goes beyond traditional childbirth education and will equip expectant mums and their families, with skills which are crucial for parenting and that can be passed on to the next generation, shaping their development and future behaviour.”
Mum to be, Cara Main from Aberdeen is six months pregnant and has signed up for the Birth of Brilliance programme in November. Cara said: “My hopes for this course are to help me feel calm and positive, reduce my anxiety around childbirth, and alleviate pain during labour as I become a new parent. It will also be an opportunity to meet other new mums.”
Another expectant mother, Neave is experiencing her first pregnancy. She said; “Birth of Brilliance has helped me put things in perspective. I feel more relaxed and positive about birth, whereas before I’d been quite apprehensive and didn’t want to think about it. I’m a lot more settled now.”
One of the dad's involved, praised the Birth of Brilliance programme for teaching him calming and breathing techniques, which helped calm his baby down quickly.
Aisha Kasim, Startup Manager at RGU’s Startup Accelerator Programme and a former contestant on BBC’s The Apprentice, said: “We are delighted by the success of the Birth of Brilliance social enterprise, which first received support from RGU’s Startup Accelerator programme four years ago. It’s clear that BoB has significantly enhanced the health and wellbeing of expectant parents across the region, and we are delighted that they are expanding their programme to support more families.
“The Birth of Brilliance is a shining example of the success that comes from organisations taking part in RGU’s Startup Accelerator programme, led by RGU’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation group. We look forward to welcoming more applicants to take part in our latest flagship annual entrepreneurial programme, which is open for applications.”
Robert Gordon University’s (RGU) latest flagship annual entrepreneurial programme, Startup Accelerator 2025, is open to anyone who wants to start a business in Aberdeen and applications close at the end of October. The programme is funded by the UK Government & Aberdeen City Council.
The Birth of Brilliance course will start on 2 November at the Wallace Practice in Aberdeen, with 2 all-day in-person classes on Saturdays, two weeks apart. A free taster online session, will run on 28 October, to help people find out more about the course.
Main image provided by 'Birth of Brilliance' - copyright info: Ground picture / Shutterstock.com. Gallery images show pregnant women, Cara Main part of Birth of Brilliance programme, Dr Mo Tabib midwifery lecturer from RGU & founder of Birth of Brilliance, Aisha Kasim, RGU Startup Accelerator Programme and stock image provided by Birth of Brilliance.