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Black History Month is a time to celebrate the people who shaped maternity and women’s health—and to recommit to equity for the next generation.
This year, The Real Birth Company (TRBC) was shortlisted by the Caribbean & African Health Network (CAHN) at the Black History Month Gala 2025 in the Private Sector – VCFSE Collaboration category. Congratulations to White Ribbon Alliance UK and Leah Lewin, who received the award—we were genuinely honoured to be named alongside such changemakers.
The roots: Windrush and a legacy of care
From the NHS’s earliest days, Black nurses and midwives answered Britain’s call. By 1977, overseas staff made up 12% of all student nurses and midwives, with over two-thirds from the Caribbean—vital contributions that helped sustain the NHS.
Their service sits within the wider Windrush story: tens of thousands came from across the Commonwealth between 1948 and 1973 to build the NHS, often facing racism while delivering compassionate care.
Pioneers and leaders we celebrate
- Mary Seacole, Jamaican-British nurse and humanitarian, whose care during the Crimean War and later public acclaim reshaped British nursing history.
- Professor Dame Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu OM DBE FRCN, Britain’s first sickle-cell and thalassaemia nurse specialist and founder of the Mary Seacole Centre—an enduring force for equitable care.
- Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent OBE, the first Chief Midwifery Officer for England and now Chief Midwife at the International Confederation of Midwives—centering safety and respectful care worldwide.
- Wendy Olayiwola BEM, national equality lead and practising midwife, championing culturally safe maternity care and workforce inclusion.
- Dr Gloria Rowland MBE, nurse-midwife leader and the UK’s first Black African Director of Midwifery—pushing for inclusive services across London.
- Dr Christine Ekechi, consultant obstetrician and Co-Chair of the RCOG Race Equality Taskforce—a leading voice on racial disparities in women’s health.
- Tinuke Awe and Clotilde Abe, co-founders of Five X More, recognised for advocacy improving Black maternal outcomes.
We celebrate these pioneers not only for their individual achievements, but because their leadership continues to shape a more inclusive and representative maternity profession. Their impact strengthens community pride, encourages more Black clinicians to enter and lead within the field, and reminds us that equitable care starts with diverse voices being heard and valued.
The evidence: why this work remains urgent
The latest MBRRACE-UK data (2020–2022 and 2021–2023 analyses) shows that Black women in the UK remain almost three times as likely to die during pregnancy or up to six weeks after compared with White women, with Asian women around twice as likely.
Beyond mortality, Black mothers are more likely to experience severe complications, and are more likely to have their births investigated for potential safety failings—signals of inequity that demand systemic action.
Parliamentary scrutiny in 2025 reinforced that these outcomes are shaped by systemic racism, leadership and data gaps—calling for urgent reforms across training, measurement and accountability.
How RealBirth contributes
RealBirth’s—multilingual, locally customisable, and co-designed with diverse communities—aims to improve knowledge, confidence and empowerment for women and birthing people, and support midwives with accessible, evidence-based content.
Already implemented across around 40% of NHS maternity services, RealBirth aligns with national priorities on safety, equity and personalised care, including the NHS CORE20PLUS5 framework and the Three-Year Delivery Plan for Maternity & Neonatal Services.
Practically, this means:
- culturally aware antenatal education;
- locally aligned pathways;
- translation and audio support; and
tools that help services reach underserved communities with consistent, quality-assured information.
Our commitment during Black History Month—and beyond
Being shortlisted by CAHN alongside organisations such as White Ribbon Alliance UK is both humbling and motivating.
We’ll continue to partner with midwives, obstetricians, community groups and advocates to:
- co-create inclusive content and training;
- support improvement projects that reduce disparities; and
- bring trusted, accessible information to families who face the greatest barriers.
If you’d like to collaborate—whether you’re a maternity unit, a community organisation, or a researcher—let’s talk about how RealBirth can help you broaden access, personalise education, and support safer, more equitable outcomes.
References
Anionwu, E. (2020) Mixed Blessings: From a Cambridge Union to Nursing Leadership. London: Robinson / Little, Brown.
CAHN (2025) Black History Month Gala 2025: Shortlist and Award Categories. Caribbean and African Health Network. Available at: https://www.cahn.org.uk (Accessed: 14 October 2025).
Ekechi, C. (2023) Race Equality in Women’s Health: RCOG Taskforce Report. Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, London.
Five X More (2024) Black Maternal Health Campaign Report 2024. Five X More CIC.
MBRRACE-UK (2023) Saving Lives, Improving Mothers’ Care: Lessons Learned to Inform Maternity Care from the UK and Ireland Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity 2019–2021. University of Oxford, Oxford: National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit.
NHS England (2023) CORE20PLUS5 – Reducing Health Inequalities. NHS England.
Olayiwola, W. (2023) National Maternity Equality Strategy. NHS England.
Parliamentary Health and Social Care Committee (2025) Black Women’s Maternal Health: Second Report of Session 2024–25. House of Commons, London: HMSO.
Rowland, G. (2022) Leading Inclusively in Midwifery. NHS England Blog.
Seacole, M. (1857) The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands. London: James Blackwood & Co.
Windrush Foundation (2021) Windrush Nurses and Midwives: The Backbone of the NHS. London: Windrush Foundation.
White Ribbon Alliance (2025) Award Winners – Black History Month Gala 2025. White Ribbon Alliance UK.
