Dr Michelle Peter is a social scientist and researcher with over a decade’s worth of experience. As a Black researcher, but foremost as a Black mother, she is passionate about the drivers behind the racial inequalities that are prevalent in maternal health in the UK. Co-author of the first Five X More Black Maternity Experiences Survey Report, she is committed to working on projects that aim to address and improve equalities in healthcare.

As an advocate for equity across academic spaces and within healthcare services, she is keen to highlight the importance of representation within research studies. This, she believes, is fundamental for ensuring that cultural, social and personal values are considered in how health services are designed and offered.

She has experience of both quantitative and qualitative methods and has worked across projects exploring the social and ethical considerations involved in implementing genetic and genomic tests into routine NHS care, with a focus on how to make the services that offer these tests equitable and accessible to all.

She currently leads on a project exploring the views and experiences of Black parents who have been offered antenatal screening and genetic testing in pregnancy.

Reyss Wheeler is a Consultant Researcher, Social Entrepreneur, and Therapeutic Social Care Practitioner committed to amplifying the voices of global majority communities and driving systemic change. Her work bridges research, practice, and policy, ensuring that theory and recommendations are transformed into tangible, community-led interventions. She specialises in co-producing research-driven systemic and infrastructural change with Black communities, ensuring solutions are both culturally responsive and impactful.

Her research explores health, education, and social inequalities, with a focus on Black children, families, and women. She has authored key reports, including Black Child SEND, #OurSwimStory, #HorsesForAll, and the flagship FivexMore Black Maternal Experiences Report, all of which have shaped policy conversations and institutional reform.

As a social entrepreneur, Reyss is reshaping women’s health interventions by developing innovative, grassroots-led models of care. She is the powerhouse behind STUK CiC, a London-based non-profit that provides holistic weightlifting, fitness, nature-based, and wellness programs for women from underserved communities, particularly those impacted by trauma and mental health challenges. Through STUK, she challenges traditional healthcare models and advocates for community-designed, culturally attuned approaches to wellbeing.

In her role as a Therapeutic Social Care Practitioner, Reyss delivers supportive advocacy services and trauma-informed therapeutic interventions for individuals and families affected by racial, gender, disability, and socio-economic inequalities. Her frontline practice and policy work support the Black diaspora, children in care, and families impacted by poverty, abuse, and systemic barriers.

An alumnus of The London School of Economics and The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, Reyss integrates her lived experience as a neurodiverse, biracial woman from an underprivileged socio-economic background with her expertise in research and practice. Her mission is to dismantle inequalities by embedding co-produced, sustainable change within health, education, and social care infrastructures, ensuring that Black communities are not just subjects of research but active co-creators of solutions.

Tawana TR found out she was pregnant at 21 and was going to give birth in 4 weeks and 4 days; she had no symptoms of pregnancy until she found out she was pregnant. After giving birth she suffered with postpartum depression and started to document her life. Then went to start her own podcast called Talk to Me to empower other young women and show the reality of motherhood when growing up together with their child.

Dr. Rumbi is a Resident Doctor, GP Trainee, and the founder of Glacie Health, a company dedicated to revolutionising women’s healthcare. With a background as a midwife, Dr. Rumbi is passionate about advocating for women’s health, particularly for those who have been historically underserved

She combines her medical expertise with an entrepreneurial spirit to create innovative solutions that empower women and those assigned female at birth to take control of their health.

Through Glacie Health, she is committed to making healthcare more accessible, inclusive, and tailored to the unique needs of women.

Instagram: @drrumbi

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/rumbi-mutenga-262642229

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RumbiWrites

At Mama’s Embrace, we are on a mission to reduce the health inequalities faced by Black, Black Mixed Heritage, and Global Majority mothers and their families. As a midwife-led organisation, we are deeply committed to creating positive, lasting change in the communities we serve, and our approach is rooted in the belief that change happens best when it's done with the community, not to or for them.

In our experience, Black communities are often labelled as “hard to reach,” but we know this simply isn’t true. Black families are incredibly engaged in their own care, and they are eager for their voices to be heard, their experiences acknowledged, and their needs met. At Mama’s Embrace, we work hand in hand with these communities, using our own lived experiences to break down the barriers and stigma that have long existed around maternal and mental health.

Through a range of carefully crafted services, we aim to provide support that is culturally relevant, emotionally supportive, and empowering for families at every stage of their journey. Here’s a closer look at some of the programs we run to support Black families.

Laura Bridle is a senior midwife specialising in maternal mental health at Helix, a service based in South East London. Helix supports individuals who have experienced pregnancy/baby loss and provides indirect interventions for tokophobia, birth separation and birth trauma. Laura works with community leaders and peer support groups to improve access to care. In addition, she collaborates with the London maternity team on translation and interpretation initiatives to enhance communication in maternity services.

Originally training as a nurse in Canada, Laura worked in public health and obstetrics before returning to England to qualify and practise as a midwife. She has held various roles, including caseload midwife, research midwife, and perinatal mental health midwife, before joining the Helix team. She previously chaired the UK Mental Health Midwives Forum for five years and has contributed to global health through her volunteer work with Médecins Sans Frontières in South Sudan.

Laura completed a Population Health Fellowship with Health Education England, leading a project to co-produce a culturally sensitive recipe book for women with gestational diabetes. She also holds an MSc in Advanced Practice in Midwifery from King’s College London, where she conducted qualitative research on the barriers and facilitators to using language support services in maternity care. Laura remains actively involved in research, and her publications can be found here https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6352-2207 

Nicole Lawal is the founder of B3- Bumps Birth and Belonging CIC. The specialist perinatal organisation providing hands on, holistic, non judgemental support and education to African, Caribbean and mixed heritage women and families in Essex.

Nicole is an experienced international midwife and mother of 4 children who firmly believes that our inherent cultural wisdom can provide the solutions we seek and that true strength resides within the community. The community is the remedy and it's time to illuminate this

Sawiya & Nasra

Started by two young Somali mums in London, Entry Level Mums is more than just a podcast - it’s a space for real, unfiltered conversations about motherhood.

Nasra and Sawiya don’t sugarcoat the journey. They share their experiences with honesty, vulnerability, and, of course, a good dose of banter.

With completely different birth stories - Nasra having a natural birth and Sawiya a C-section - they bring two unique perspectives to the table. But one thing they both agree on? Postpartum was tough. Isolating, overwhelming, and nothing like what they expected. No one should feel alone in motherhood. 

Dr. Aziza Sesay is an NHS General Practitioner, GP educator, Honorary Senior Clinical lecturer, host, speaker and health content creator. She has a strong passion for health education, awareness, advocacy and empowerment.

She channels this through her platform 'Talks with Dr. Sesay' where she shares short informative videos, infographics, live discussions and tips on a variety of topics with a particular emphasis on women’s and gynaecological health, cancer awareness, mental health and health inequity. The goal is to equip and empower individuals with knowledge in the hope of preventing disease, ensuring they are picked up early or at least moderating their progression.

Dr. Sesay is the creative director of Black Female Doctors UK organisation, Charity fundraising lead for Keep it Fax charity, one of the Board of Directors of Prevention First Initiative, Ambassador for the Eve Appeal charity and was a UN Women UK delegate for CSW 67 (volunteer role).

She's been featured on BBC News, Metro News, Stylist magazine, Women's health UK and many more. She has collaborated with several different organisations including NHS, CoppaFeel!, Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, Black Women Rising UK, PANDAS foundation and many more to help make this a reality. In addition, she has also supported several national public health campaigns.

Janet’s background is in midwifery and women and children's health

She has worked on a variety of health and social issues which affect women and children, and with diverse organisations and groups ranging from the, Department of Health, NHS bodies, NGOs, charities, Mayor of London, the Home Office, Medical Royal Colleges and a variety of key organisations. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health (FRSPH).

As an acute gynaecology and early pregnancy specialist as well as an established obstetrician, Christine seamlessly combines high level expertise in the management of high-risk cases with the provision of reassuring, holistic care. 

Christine holds a Masters from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and her previous public health experience includes working with the UN, UNICEF, and national governments in the UK and beyond. Using this extensive experience, Christine is particularly interested in the social drivers that underpin inequity in individual health outcomes, increasing health knowledge and improving healthcare delivery. 

 Christine is a health advocate championing the reduction in gender and racial inequalities in healthcare. She is the Co-Chair of the Race Equality Taskforce at the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists and sits on the board as a Trustee for gynaecology cancer charity, The Eve Appeal. Christine is equally focussed on maternity safety and serves as a member of the Multi-Professional Advisory Panel for Baby Lifeline – a UK charity focused on the supportive care of pregnant women and newborn babies.

Nellie Robert Gbadebo is a pillar of strength and inspiration, with over a decade of experience as a content creator specialising in beauty, lifestyle, fashion, and motherhood. Triumphing over breast cancer, Nellie has transformed her personal battle into a powerful narrative of resilience and hope. She leverages her platform to uplift and support others, sharing invaluable guidance,practical tips, and profound motivation for well-being and self-expression.

Despite the challenges, Nellie remains devoted to her role as a mother and wife, finding immense joy in spending time with her children, whilst advocating for early cancer detection and enhancing the representation of Black women in medical research.

Dr Tosin Sotubo-Ajayi is a General Practitioner with over a decade of clinical experience across both the NHS and private health sector, with a special interest in Women’s Health. She is also a HealthTech advisor, health educator and speaker with a passion for spreading health awareness.

She currently works as a Senior Medical Advisor for the most popular women’s health app globally. She is also an advisory mentor for FemTech Lab, Europe’s first FemTech-focused start-up accelerator programme.

She has worked in the media as a TV Doctor and was a resident doctor on the popular TV show Embarrassing Bodies. She has been featured in a number of publications and spoken on various prominent platforms. Her goal is to help improve the quality of women’s health globally whilst educating and empowering as many people as possible along the way.

Anisah Abdullah is an award winning perinatal emotional wellness specialist, TEDx speaker and founder of Inherent Birth, a perinatal wellness service that specialises in empowering pregnant and postpartum Muslim women to thrive through their pregnancy to motherhood experience.

Anisah has supported and coached hundreds of women and families across 5 continents over the last 11 years. She is passionate about offering holistic support that enables the power, choice and positive experience to be back in the hands of her clients.

As a busy mum of five, Anisah still finds time to work along-side several grassroots organisations and charities providing support, consultancy, mentorship and specialised services drawing on her breadth of knowledge and expertise.

Web- https://www.inherentbirth.com/

Email- info@inherentbirth.com

Social media:

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/inherentbirth/

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/InherentBirth/

Dr. Isioma Dianne Okolo is committed to eradicating inequalities in healthcare on both local and global scales, as a consultant obstetrician-gynaecologist, global health researcher, women's rights advocate, and writer. She has a keen focus on addressing inequities faced by Black women across the life course. 

She is a member of the Scottish Government working Group on Racialised Maternal Health Inequalities and the RCOG Race Equality Taskforce.

Originally from Nigeria, Isioma has lived and worked in Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, Brazil, the UK, and the USA. She brings a wealth of expertise in global women's health, public health, international policy, health systems strengthening, and gender equity advocacy.

She is recognized as a respected voice in healthcare and public policy, known not only for her exemplary clinical work but also for her impactful public speaking and mentorship, which advocate for systemic reform.

Isioma is a graduate of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, University of Edinburgh Medical School, and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. 

Her research interests focus on employing community-based participatory methods, implementation science, and mixed methodologies to eliminate reproductive health disparities for racially minoritized women and pregnant people in Scotland.

Danielle Bridge is an experienced leader with a passion for driving positive change in the realm of mental health and social impact with over 15 years experience in a CEO capacity.

Her commitment to social justice, coupled with a proven track record of delivering impact in communities positions her as a beacon of leadership in the nonprofit sector and her journey is a testament to the transformative power of individuals dedicated to creating positive change.

Her role as the Chief Executive of Black Minds Matter UK is a continuation of this impactful legacy.

Darlington is a Fully Accredited member of the UKCP and the FDAP. He has a BSc (Hons) in Integrative Counselling, and is also a qualified Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Practitioner.

His additional qualifications include a Diploma in Relationship-Based Supervision for individuals and groups, a Diploma in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy, and a Certificate in Conflict Management.

He also serves as a Moving Parents and Children Together (MPACT) Facilitator. Darlington brings over 20 years of experience working in various rehabilitation and social care settings to his leadership role at BMMUK as Clinical Services Manager.

Amina Hatia is the Midwifery Manager at Tommy’s, where she oversees the midwifery service, providing expert knowledge and support to families while ensuring high-quality, evidence-based care. Amina also led the development of Tommy’s Black and Black Mixed Women and Birthing People Helpline Project, an initiative in partnership with FiveXmore, designed to improve accessibility to the charity’s expert services and tailored support, addressing disparities in maternal health outcomes.

In her NHS role at London North West University Healthcare (LNWH), Amina is the Cultural Safety Lead, advocating for an inclusive and empowering maternity environment. She works to embed, sustain, and accelerate culturally safe practices across the service, ensuring that all women, birthing people, their families, and staff receive equitable and culturally appropriate care.

Additionally, Amina is a Research Midwife at Imperial College London, focusing on improving accessibility to donor milk for families who may need it.

Passionate about equity in maternity care, Amina is dedicated to ensuring that all individuals have access to evidence-based, compassionate, and person-centred care that supports them throughout their pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding journey—whatever that may look like for them.

Wendy is a member of the Nursing and Midwifery Council Equality Diversity and Inclusion Research Advisory Group and Midwifery Panel. She is also the lead midwife/co-chair of CNO CMiDO BME Strategic Advisory Group NHS England and a member of the Race Health Observatory maternity group.

The recognition and influence of her ability and impact in England and internationally are evident by her charitable work and contributions, publications and speaking internationally.

She is very passionate about supporting and empowering nurses and midwives to provide culturally sensitive and holistic care for women and their families. Wendy has held various senior operational and specialist positions and project management roles in maternity. She was appointed into her current role as the national maternity lead for equality at NHS England in February 2021.