For 70 years, we’ve worked alongside parents to make a real difference during pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood.
Our strategy For Every Parent, sets out how we’re focusing our work today, strengthening support for women, expectant and new parents, tackling inequality, and campaigning for safer, fairer care across the UK.
Connection plays a vital role in helping parents feel supported, confident and less alone, especially during pregnancy and the early years of parenthood.
Last year, nearly 180,000 parents connected with NCT in person, with millions more finding support through our digital channels. More than 80,000 parents joined local NCT community groups, creating spaces to share experiences, ask questions and build relationships that often last well beyond the early months of parenthood.
This support is made possible by our volunteers, who gave over 77,000 hours of their time to support parents in their local communities. From peer support and walking groups to Nearly New Sales, Baby Cafés and community events, volunteers help create welcoming, practical support where parents need it most.
Together, these local connections help parents feel understood, supported and part of something bigger, strengthening communities as well as individual families.
Feeding a baby can raise questions and pressure, often at a time when parents are already tired and finding their feet. We provide personalised, evidence‑based infant feeding support so parents can feed their babies in the way that feels right for them, without judgement. Last year we gave infant feeding support to over 85,000 new parents. We were there when they needed us – in a neonatal unit or postnatal ward, at one of our Baby Cafes in the community, or through late-night calls to our free Infant Feeding Line.
Pregnancy and the first year after birth can be emotionally challenging, and many parents experience anxiety, low mood or isolation during this time. Through NCT Parents in Mind, we offer safe, non‑judgemental spaces where parents can talk openly and access peer support from trained local volunteers. After receiving support, 94% of parents felt understood, and 88% felt better informed about where to get help, helping reduce stigma and improve access to timely, compassionate support.
Our antenatal and postnatal classes bring parents together to learn, share experiences and build connections during pregnancy and early parenthood. Led by experienced NCT practitioners, our courses combine evidence‑based information with open, honest discussion - helping parents understand their options, feel more prepared, and connect with others at the same stage of life. Parents consistently tell us these courses build both confidence and community, with 94% rating their course good or excellent, and 95% staying in touch with people they met, often long after their babies are born.
Families across the UK are under increasing financial pressure, and the cost of having a baby can add to that strain. We respond by providing practical, dignified support to help parents access essential items and services during pregnancy and early parenthood. Last year, this included delivering Baby Bundles to families in need, selling affordable baby items through NCT Nearly New Sales, and working with trusted partners such as food banks and baby banks to extend free support where it was most needed.
Parents’ experiences don’t stop with individual support - they also shape the systems and services families rely on. We campaign for safer, fairer maternity and early years care by listening to parents, raising their voices and pushing for change on the issues that matter most. Our campaigning is grounded in evidence and lived experience, helping improve care, understanding and choice for parents across the UK.
Our Annual Reports provide an overview of our charity’s impact each year and the work and collaborations we build to deliver this impact.
It includes a report from the Trustees and a record of our financial performance. The most recent ones are available to download.
