Amma Birth Companions, which assists women, some seeking asylum and refugees, in achieving healthy pregnancies and positive birthing experiences, was selected from more than 500 UK charities.
The award includes £40,000 in unrestricted funding and expert support and leadership development by The King’s Fund.
Maree Aldam, chief executive officer of Amma Birth Companions, said: “We are deeply honoured to receive this prestigious award.
“This recognition fuels our dedication to enhancing maternal wellbeing and reinforces the significance of our efforts to tackle systemic disparities in perinatal care.”
Established in 2019, the charity provides the disadvantaged women with care, information, and support, to women and birthing people who experience disadvantages, which could mean they face poor birth outcomes and give birth alone.
The organisation’s impact gained the judges’ admiration, especially their commitment to having on call supporters from 37 weeks ready to aid women through labour.
Trained ‘birth companions’ provide one-to-one support from the third trimester of pregnancy, attending births and ensuring a woman’s voice is rightfully considered in decisions.
Supported by 70 volunteers, the charity offers a range of other emotional and practical support services, from pregnancy to early parenthood, as well as infant feeding and domestic tasks.
Last year, the charity helped clients from 45 countries and currently has 70 pregnant clients and mothers with children up to two-years-old.
Katie Pinnock, director of UK Charitable Partnerships at GSK, said: “Amma Birth Companions is a small but incredibly effective charity, giving voice and choice to marginalised women such as asylum seekers at a crucial time in their lives.
“As the only charity in Scotland specialising in this work, its services are critical to prevent poor birth outcomes among some of Glasgow’s most vulnerable mothers and to give their babies the best possible start in life.
“In addition to its targeted support services for pregnant women and new mothers, Amma is also driving improvements in maternity care in Scotland, by using the lived experience of the women it supports to directly shape government policy.”
