EXPECTANT mothers and new parents are invited to the Bournemouth Birth Centre to celebrate its first birthday today.

Guests include Jacqui Dunkley-Bent, head of maternity for NHS England - and present at the births of Prince George and Princess Charlotte - and Bournemouth’s oldest midwife, Nora Pardy, who will be there to offer advice.

Tours of the newly decorated birthing suites in the Bournemouth Birth Centre will also be available, as well as the opportunity to win a prize in the grand raffle.

And there will be entertainment courtesy of international magician James ‘Magic’ Brown.

Tracey Hince, supervising midwife at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, said: “We are so proud of the Bournemouth Birth Centre, it is a leading facility and has really put the Royal Bournemouth Hospital Maternity Department on the map where homebirths are concerned.

“We are also very excited to welcome our special guests, Jacqui Dunkley-Bent and Nora Pardy, to our first birthday tea party on Monday afternoon. "These experienced women have such a wealth of expertise and we would encourage as many new or expecting mums and dads as possible to seize this unique opportunity to meet with them.”

The event, which is taking place between 1pm and 3pm at the hospital's Oasis Coffee Lounge, is suitable for children and families and is free to attend with no need to book in advance.

For more information about the event, please call the Bournemouth Birth Centre on 01202 704685.

The Bournemouth Birth Centre is a ‘home away from home’ setting for mums to have a midwife led, natural birth.

For more information about the centre go to www.rbch.nhs.uk.