Black Maternal Mental Health Week UK returns this September to raise awareness of the mental health experiences of Black mothers and birthing people, amplify lived experience, and call for meaningful change across maternity, perinatal mental health and wider health systems.
This year’s theme, Joy • Justice • Journey, reflects the full reality of Black motherhood. It recognises that Black mothers deserve to be celebrated, protected, listened to, supported and treated with dignity at every stage.
Join the conversation. Support the campaign. Commission the work. Help drive change.
A week of storytelling, support and policy action—centred around Black mothers.
This September, The Motherhood Group leads the fifth annual Black Maternal Mental Health Week. Our theme, “Make Black Mothers Visible,” calls for Black mothers to be counted, heard, and supported through culturally competent care. Visibility isn’t symbolic — it restores dignity and improves outcomes in maternal mental health and beyond. Black mothers face higher risks and barriers to care. They are more than twice as likely to be hospitalised with perinatal mental illness than white mothers, making up 12% of admissions despite only 5% of births (The Guardian). One in five did not seek help for depression during or after pregnancy (Mental Health Foundation). Our Black Maternal Mental Health Report highlights the urgent need for systemic change and safe spaces where Black mothers can share their stories, heal, and access trusted support.
Sandra Igwe, Chief Executive at The Motherhood Group, stated,
"As a Black mother who understands the issues with perinatal mental health, I've seen the critical gaps in our system. The Motherhood Group recognises the importance of destigmatising mental health and empowering Black mothers to lead these conversations. We're bridging the divide between our community and healthcare providers, amplifying our voices, and driving real change."
Mental Health & Digital Support (Spotlight on the BlackMums App)
📍 Microsoft Teams NHS x The Motherhood Group Webinar: Mental Health & Digital Support — what culturally competent digital support looks like and how to signpost.
Community-Led Solutions (Black Maternal Health Conference UK – Streamed)
📍 Streamed nationwide Black Maternal Health Conference UK: Community-Led Solutions — story films, models that scale, commissioning pathways. 👉 Watch on Instagram and YouTube
Help shape culturally safe maternal mental healthcare.
Policy Makers & Organisations
Partner to address systemic racism and fund community-led services.
Charities & Grassroots Stakeholders
Co-design events, train professionals, and raise the campaign’s visibility.
Anyone ready to centre Black mothers and improve care pathways
Make a change whereever you are
About Black Maternal Mental Health Week UK
Black Maternal Mental Health Week UK is a national awareness week founded and led by The Motherhood Group.
The week exists to spotlight the mental health experiences of Black mothers and birthing people across the UK, while challenging the barriers that too often prevent them from receiving safe, timely and culturally appropriate support.
Black mothers can face isolation, stigma, poor listening, delayed referrals, cultural misunderstanding, racism, trauma, and a lack of trust in services. These experiences can affect whether mothers feel able to ask for help, whether they are believed when they do, and whether support comes early enough.
Black Maternal Mental Health Week UK creates space for mothers, families, professionals, NHS services, charities, researchers, policymakers, workplaces and community organisations to come together and ask:
What needs to change so Black mothers are heard, supported, protected and able to thrive?
The week is about awareness, but it is also about action.
Attend Our Events
Be part of the week: from the launch on Monday to mid-week digital support sessions and end-of-week community programming. Register, bring your team, and share your learnings across your networks.
Our Impact
The Motherhood Group has supported over 18,000 Black mothers across the UK, building trusted, culturally competent routes into counselling, peer support, and community programmes. The work continues year-round through our platforms, training, research, and partnerships.
This Years Theme: Joy • Justice • Journey
Joy
Joy is about recognising Black motherhood beyond pain, risk and statistics.
It is about celebrating the love, laughter, culture, faith, family, friendship, creativity, softness and community that exist within Black motherhood. It reminds us that Black mothers deserve moments of rest, celebration and happiness, not only conversations about struggle.
Joy also means creating spaces where Black mothers feel safe enough to be themselves. Spaces where they are not judged, dismissed, stereotyped or expected to be endlessly strong.
During Black Maternal Mental Health Week, joy means honouring the beauty of Black motherhood and reminding mothers that their wellbeing matters too.
Justice
Justice is about naming the inequalities that continue to affect Black mothers and birthing people across maternity and mental health care.
It means asking why Black mothers are still more likely to report poor experiences of care, why their concerns are not always listened to, why some only receive help once their mental health has become more serious, and why culturally safe support is still not available consistently across the UK.
Justice means moving beyond awareness alone. It means accountability, better training, improved pathways, stronger listening, better data, proper funding, and services that are willing to change.
During Black Maternal Mental Health Week, justice means challenging the systems, attitudes and practices that leave Black mothers unheard or unsupported.
Journey
Journey is about recognising that every mother’s experience is different.
A mother’s journey may include pregnancy, birth, baby loss, fertility struggles, postnatal recovery, anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, birth trauma, relationship changes, returning to work, identity, faith, culture, family pressure, loneliness or finding community.
Journey reminds us that maternal mental health is not limited to one appointment, one diagnosis or one moment after birth. Support needs to be available before, during and after pregnancy, and it must reflect the real lives of Black mothers.
During Black Maternal Mental Health Week, journey means honouring every stage of motherhood and making sure Black mothers are not expected to carry their experiences alone.
What will be happening during the week
Throughout Black Maternal Mental Health Week UK 2026, The Motherhood Group will lead national activity to raise awareness, amplify Black mothers’ voices and encourage action across the UK.
This will include:
National Campaign Launch
We will launch this year’s theme, campaign messaging, visuals and calls to action for Black Maternal Mental Health Week UK 2026.
Mumbrite Sessions
We will host digital sessions and conversations through Mumbrite, creating space for mothers to connect, reflect, share and access support.
Parliamentary Event
We will host a parliamentary event focused on Black maternal mental health, lived experience, accountability and the changes needed across maternity and perinatal mental health services.
Community & Partner Activity
We will encourage organisations, NHS services, charities, community groups, universities, workplaces and individuals to host their own events and activities during the week.
Campaign Resources
We will share resources that supporters can use to raise awareness, start conversations and take part in the campaign.
National Activity Calendar
We will be pulling together a calendar of events, sessions and activities taking place.
More details will be shared in the campaign brief.
How to Support
Black Maternal Mental Health Week UK is led nationally by The Motherhood Group, and your support helps us continue this work beyond one week of awareness.
The Motherhood Group works directly with Black mothers, NHS services, local authorities, universities, charities, healthcare professionals, researchers, brands and national partners to improve maternal mental health and reduce inequalities in care.
Commission The Motherhood Group
Cultural Competency and Black Maternal Health Training
For maternity teams, perinatal mental health teams, health visitors, midwives, psychologists, commissioners, student clinicians and wider healthcare professionals.
Lived Experience Engagement
We can support organisations to hear directly from Black mothers through focus groups, listening sessions, advisory groups, community insight work and co-production.
Research and Community Engagement
We work with universities, NHS bodies, charities and public sector organisations to meaningfully involve Black mothers in research, service design, evaluation and policy development.
Workshops, Panels and Speaking
Book The Motherhood Group to deliver talks, webinars, panel discussions, conference contributions, staff learning sessions or internal awareness events during Black Maternal Mental Health Week.
Programme Delivery and Partnership Projects
Work with us to design and deliver programmes that support Black mothers’ mental health, confidence, advocacy, wellbeing and access to care.
Corporate and Brand Partnerships
Partner with us to fund campaigns, digital programmes, community events, Mumbrite activity, mother-led conversations or national awareness work.
Supporting The Motherhood Group means investing in work that is community-led, lived-experience informed and focused on practical change for Black mothers and birthing people.
What you can do during Black Maternal Mental Health Week
Everyone has a role to play in Black Maternal Mental Health Week UK.
Whether you are an NHS Trust, hospital, charity, university, workplace, community group, faith organisation, brand, local authority or individual supporter, there are practical ways to get involved.
Join The Motherhood Group’s Sessions
Take part in our national programme, Mumbrite sessions, online conversations, campaign moments and events during the week.
This September, we are calling on individuals, communities, services and organisations across the UK to stand with Black mothers.
Celebrate the joy. Demand justice. Honour the journey.
Black Maternal Mental Health Week UK 2026 21st – 27th September 2026 Joy • Justice • Journey
Led nationally by The Motherhood Group Supported by Mumbrite
Join the conversation. Support the campaign. Commission the work. Help drive change.
MONDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER
Why Black Maternal Mental Health Matters
We explored disparities in maternal mental health outcomes for Black mothers, discussing societal and systemic factors. Join in discussions that highlight why this awareness week is crucial for addressing these issues and promoting change.
This day focuses on addressing stigma and barriers to mental health support in the Black community. We'll examine cultural attitudes, accessibility issues, and strategies to encourage open conversations about maternal mental health.
We'll examine the impact of traumatic birth experiences and pregnancy loss on Black women's mental health. Discussions will cover the unique challenges faced, the importance of culturally sensitive care, and healing strategies.
Launching Black Child Mental Health Day, we'll explore the link between Black maternal mental health and children's mental health. We'll discuss unique challenges faced by Black children, preventative measures, and how maternal wellbeing from pregnancy onwards impacts a child's mental health.
This day highlights the importance of community support and allyship in promoting Black maternal mental health. We'll explore the power of peer support, mentorship programmes, and community initiatives in creating safe spaces for Black mothers.
SATURDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER
Reflecting on the Journey
We'll recap key themes and insights from the week, encouraging participants to share their learnings and commitments to supporting Black maternal and child mental health.
SUNDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER
Moving Forward
On our final day, we'll discuss strategies for systemic change and empowerment of Black mothers and children. We'll explore policy reforms, increased funding for mental health resources, and the importance of self-advocacy and activism.
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