The South Aberdeenshire Community Hospital Partnership has revealed it wants local people to sit on a new working group, set up to discuss the development of the facility.
It comes just weeks after Health Minister Andy Kerr backed revised proposals by NHS Grampian to create the unit for low risk mothers at Aboyne.
Jenna Storey, a member of Save Aboyne Maternity, which has been asked to recruit the members of the public, said it was a "positive step". But in the wake of the health board's original proposal to close the unit - and three others in Aberdeenshire - she said there was still concern about how it would be run.
She said: "This is just what we would have hoped for and we look forward to being involved and having a say. We hope that it is going to be a birth unit and not a bed isolated somewhere that wouldn't entice women to use it."
Mrs Storey stressed that there needed to be at least two beds, one for delivery and one for recovery. She said: "My biggest concern is that there will be one bed and the midwives will be expected to be out and about in the community and wont have a base any more. I don't think that would work. We have to have proper facilities because this is not an outpatient appointment."
The mother-of-three added that they would also insist there be a birthing pool at the unit, as the current inflatable pool at Aboyne is used by 60% of women, who either have their baby in the pool or who use it as a method of pain relief during labour.
Active birth yoga classes and parent craft classes are just some of the other services campaigners say they would like to see provided at the new unit.
In a letter to SAM, Fiona Francey, general manager of South Aberdeenshire Community Health Partnership said she hoped the first meeting of the working group, which will consider, among others, operational policies, design of the unit, staffing rotas, and its location within the hospital, would be held by the end of this month.
She added: "Communication with the public will be an important aspect of our role and it would be hoped that SAM may be able to assist with this also, in due course."
Other members of the group would include midwives, management representatives, an HR adviser, and the team leader and medical director of the hospital.
Mrs Storey, who said SAM received a personal letter from Mr Kerr urging them to continue their good work, added: "This is our service and we want everyone to be involved."
Anyone interested in helping to set up the new unit is asked to contact serena@riverdee.org or crawfordc@btinternet.com with their contact details by March 7. Alternatively they can contact Aboyne Maternity Unit, Bellwood Road, Aboyne, AB34 5HQ. SAM members will then get in touch with them to discuss the matter further.