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About Us

WHAT

The Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA) is a UK-wide charity and network of over 100 organisations, dedicated to ensuring women and families affected by perinatal mental problems have access to high quality comprehensive perinatal mental health care and support. We bring the maternal mental health community together and make change happen by combining the power of real-life experience with clinical and professional expertise.

WHY

Women, babies and their families are suffering right now. We won’t stop until every woman and family in the UK gets the perinatal mental health care and support they need, before, during and after pregnancy.

HOW

We speak with one voice. United by our core aims, we work collectively to maximise impact. We harness our shared expertise, energy and passion to drive the change needed for the mental health needs of women and their families in the perinatal period.

WHO

The MMHA was founded in 2011 by people with lived experience and organisations who understood the impact of perinatal mental problems and had a commitment to improving the lives of women and their families. Today, we have evolved into a powerful and collaborative alliance supported by a small, dedicated staff team and board.

OUR VALUES

Ambitious

We won’t stop until every woman in the UK experiencing a perinatal mental health problem, or at risk of developing one, has access to the right care and support for her and her family.

Passionate

Our desire and determination to bring about change for women and families is fuelled by the lived experience both within and beyond the MMHA.

Collaborative

We value the power of lived experience, clinical, academic and campaigning expertise coming

together across the four nations of the UK. We are open to expertise beyond the MMHA and aim to combine efforts wherever possible.

Humble

We seek to act as a catalyst, acknowledging the considerable work of others now and in the

past, fostering and supporting the collective efforts of the maternal mental health community.

Resourceful

We are aware that women and families are suffering right now, so we strive to make a difference

as a matter of urgency, in the most effective and efficient ways possible. We deliberately keep our overheads to a minimum and invest in robust learning and evaluation to help inform where to focus our time and other limited resources.

OUR BELIEFS

Relationships

At the heart of maternal mental health are relationships – between mum and baby, family members,

health professionals and across society. Relationships are also key within the Alliance. Nurturing connections between member organisations, staff, trustees and experts by experience is fundamental to the effective collective work for the benefit of women and families.

Walking the walk

We are mindful that the wellbeing of our experts by experience, staff and all those who work with and on behalf of the Alliance is paramount. This commitment is prioritised in our culture, policies and communications.

Social justice

Although all women are at risk of developing a perinatal mental health problem, we recognise that some will face multiple disadvantages and stigma in speaking out or seeking help. We want to ensure all women, regardless of circumstances, background or life experience, can access perinatal mental  health care. We also join the wider mental health community in calling for parity between physical and mental health.