A HANDFUL of young Barrow mums who united in a quest to save Furness General’s maternity unit from being downgraded will reunite later this week.

Five years ago the Thousand Voices campaign was born and brought together families from across Furness who wanted to prevent the Barrow facility from being downgraded from a consultant-led facility, handling complicated deliveries, to a midwifery-led situation, dealing with only the most routine of births.

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The changes would have meant heavily pregnant women needing specialist care would have been forced to travel 50 miles to Lancaster to deliver their babies.

Both The Mail and Barrow and Furness MP John Woodock pledged support to the movement and by 2013, hospital bosses announced they had dropped the plans.

Rachael Kent, of Delhi Street, Walney, who was at the forefront of the fledgling campaign in 2012, said: “The Thousand Voices campaign showed how passionate our community is about the maternity provisions here in Barrow.

“I was proud to have been a part of the campaign, I am so happy to see the continued improvement of services at Furness General Hospital and I am looking forward to the reunion on Wednesday .

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“I want to say a big thank you to the Mail and all its readers too. Your inspirational, award-winning front page electrified our Thousand Voices campaign and the support of your campaigning voice made such a difference.”

A reunion will be taking place on February 14, from 6pm- 8pm at Hawcoat memorial hall.