Membership

Please note that for ease of administration (because we are volunteers) membership for all runs from January - December in any given year. At our AGM in November 2004 it was agreed that the membership fee would be £40 per year (with a concessionary fee of £20 for those who cannot afford the full fee).

In January 2004, we introduced a Doula Recognition Process and categories of membership. They are as follows:

Recognised Doula
Trainee Doula
Friend of Doula UK

Benefit of membership	Recognised Doula	Trainee Doula	Friend of Doula UK
Postal newsletter (3 times per year)
Discounted access to Doula UK Study Days/Events and Other Activities
Regular email news/updates
Membership of regional group nearest you
Access to Members' Section of website
Doula UK professionally produced leaflet to use with your clients (to buy)
Access to Doula Online Forum
Name and Contact Info can be displayed on "Find a Doula" section of website
Option to have "Doulaography" (profile about doula work) - at additional £10 per year with format www.doula.org.uk/about/yourname
"Recognised" status will show on "Find a Doula" section of website

(1) Recognised Doula - a Doula who is experienced and who has also completed a recognised Doula course. Who has read and signed to say that they agree with Doula UK's Philosophy, Code of Practice and other Policies/Procedures, and who has been “Recognised” by Doula UK as having attained a particular level of learned skills and experience – membership fee £40.

In order to become “Recognised”, newly applying members and existing “Trainee Doula” members of Doula UK must submit their membership application along with four Attendance Records of birth or Support Records of postnatal work carried out, using the Doula UK format. On submission of this documentation, the Doula will be interviewed on a one to one basis by an assessor face to face. This interview will ensure that the Doula is in agreement with our Philosophy and to explore the work already completed. Once this is done they will be able to advertise themselves as a Doula UK Recognised Doula enjoying the full support of the network - assessment will cost an additional £60 to the usual membership fee of £40. (NB. if applying for recognition of both roles, 8 forms will need to be submitted, 4 birth and 4 postnatal – if submitted altogether then the assessment fee will be £100, if submitted separately then the assessment fee will be £120 for the second batch of documents). The Doula must work in the UK.

(2) Trainee Doula - a Doula who has completed a recognised Doula course (and has supplied Doula UK with copies of references and/or evidence of that training) but who has not yet gained enough work experience to apply to be a "Recognised Doula". She will have signed our code of practice and philosophy. On submission of the completed membership application form and other documents (evidence of training/experience) the trainee will appear on the "Find a doula" page of the Doula UK website; however she will not be able to be advertised as a Recognised Doula. We have a rule that trainee doulas offer their services at a reduced fee (not more than £150 as a birth doula and £10 per hour as a postnatal doula) until she has fulfilled the necessary criteria for recognition - membership fee £40. The Trainee Doula must work in the UK.

(3) Friend of Doula UK - those who are not doulas but who are interested in/supportive of our network and wish to receive our regular newsletter and e-news, can become a “Friend of Doula UK” by simply completing the necessary sections of the membership application form and paying a subscription fee of £20. This category of membership may include individuals who would like to become doulas in the future but who, as yet, have no training or experience as a doula. The fee for overseas/abroad “Friends” is £25 to cover the extra cost of postage for the newsletter.

If you would like a membership application form sent to you, please email membership@doula.org.uk and a form will be emailed to you (please state if you would prefer it in .doc Word format or .pdf Adobe Acrobat format), or if you state your name and address, a membership form will be posted to you.

Please send your completed membership application form, along with your cheque payable to "Doula UK", to our Membership secretary's address (as per the membership application form). Please ensure that your name and address are printed clearly on the back of the cheque. Please do not send cash. A receipt will be issued and sent to you by email (or post if you do not have internet access). Alternatively you can pay by standing order (or set up an electronic payment via your bank) please email membership@doula.org.uk if you would like a standing order form or our bank details.

Should you be unable to afford the £40 fee, in certain circumstances we will accept a reduced (concessionary) fee of £20 for your full year's membership. Please enclose a note explaining your situation when applying. Similarly, if you join from July onwards (*NEW* members only) you can also opt to pay this concessionary fee (£20) for the remainder of the year. If you are an existing member renewing late, the full fee applies.