Five X More

Yesterday, we had the privilege of hosting the latest Black Maternal Health APPG meeting, continuing our work as the secretariat for this crucial group. For two years now, we’ve worked to bring Black maternal health disparities to the forefront of conversations with policymakers, holding those in power to account and pushing for actionable change. The session featured incredible insights from key leaders including: ✨ Dr. Dianne Addei: Shared updates on the NHS 10-Year Health Plan, emphasising that tackling inequalities must be central to every workstream and calling for community engagement through the plan’s public portal. ✨ Kate Brintworth: Called for diversity of thought and better listening, emphasising that equity in maternity care cannot be treated as an “optional extra.” ✨ Donald Peebles: Spoke powerfully on the urgent need to call out racism, microaggressions, and failed communication within maternity services, highlighting the importance of co-production and targeted local interventions. ✨ Dr. Helen Gbinigie: Highlighted the importance of educating healthcare professionals to recognise jaundice in darker-skinned babies, sharing her vision for a national public health education package. We are committed to fostering these vital discussions and ensuring the voices of Black women and their families are heard. This meeting reaffirmed the importance of collaboration across stakeholders to drive real, measurable change. At Five X More, we will continue to advocate, educate, and push for better outcomes for Black mothers and babies. Let’s keep the momentum going! Share your thoughts, and if you’re working on projects to tackle maternity disparities, we’d love to connect. #BlackMaternalHealth #HealthInequalities #APPG #FiveXMore #MaternityCare #Advocacy #EquityInHealthcare

Introducing the Five X More Learning Hub App! We’re thrilled to announce the official launch of the Five X More Learning Hub app, a groundbreaking resource specifically designed to support Black mothers and birthing people through pregnancy and early parenthood. Packed with culturally tailored resources, expert advice, and a community space to connect, this app is here to empower Black women with knowledge, support, and community every step of the way. Health professionals are encouraged to share this resource with their patients, helping to bridge gaps in maternal health care and provide culturally relevant support. Thank you to everyone who has downloaded the app already and joined us on this journey to drive positive change in Black maternal health. We’re just getting started! 📲 Tinuke Awe Clotilde Rebecca Abe #FiveXMore #BlackMaternalHealth #HealthInnovation #PregnancySupport #LearningHub #MaternalHealth #AppLaunch

*Trigger Warning:Talks of Maternal Death* The 2024 MBRRACE report reveals ongoing maternal health disparities in the UK. Black women are three times more likely to die in pregnancy or shortly after. While some progress is seen, we still have a long way to go for true equity. At Five X More, we're here for you. Explore our app, community hub, and website for free resources and support. Don't ignore concerning symptoms-seek professional help if needed. #MaternalHealth #MBRRACE2024 #FiveXMore #BlackMaternalHealth

The Five x More Colourful Birth Wallets have had an upgrade!! The wallets are now available in South East London hospitals you will now be able to pay it forward and give them back to your hospital so they can be given to another pregnant woman when you are done. We have also added some new information on the back from our partner charities and organisations Tommy's Aims Pregnancy Sickness Support and Kickscount You will be receiving the wallets to help advocate for safer outcomes in the following sites: ⁃ St Thomas Hospital ⁃ Queen Elizabeth Hospital ⁃ Lewisham Hospital ⁃ Kings College Hospital ⁃ Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) If you are not given one, you can also request for one, subject to availability. The aim of the wallets is to empower women to advocate for themselves and to promote health wellbeing in order to create safer outcomes. We have designed the wallets to hold maternity notes and on both sides of the wallets we have information for self-advocacy, wellbeing and advice. If you have already received the wallet, please do take a picture/ video and tag us so we can repost you! If you are a health professional and your trust is interested in our wallets, please send us an email via the contact details in our profile. #fivexmore

Here are 5 reasons why you should hire Atinuke Awe and Clotilde Rebecca Abe from Five X More to speak at your Black History Month events and beyond... 🤰🏾Driving Change in Black Maternal Health Five X More is the leading voice advocating for better Black maternal health outcomes in the UK. Our groundbreaking petition, which garnered over 187,000 signatures, led to Black maternal health being debated in Parliament for the first time in history—and three times since. We’ve amplified the voices of over 1,300 Black women through comprehensive reports, driving awareness and action around systemic issues. We’ve made the unheard heard, pushing for real change in maternity care and improving the experiences of Black women and birthing people. 🎙 Powerful Storytelling We share authentic, lived experiences that highlight the disparities in maternity care for Black women, helping audiences connect both emotionally and practically to the cause. As a trusted voice and source for Black women, we deeply care about representing their stories in a meaningful and impactful way. 🙌 Collaborative Impact We've collaborated with major health organisations such as the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gyneacolegists and The Royal College of Midwives, policymakers, and experts to amplify our message and bring about policy changes that benefit Black women and birthing people. Our engagements inspire actions that drive lasting change. 👩🏾💻 Expertise and Advocacy With over 5 years of advocacy, we've helped shape government discussions after creating the Black Maternal Health All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and host impactful awareness events, including the annual Black Maternal Health Awareness Week and the Women’s Health Summit. 📲 Audience Engagement We have delivered 100’s of talks, training and workshops that don’t just educate—they motivate and empower audiences to think about their role in shaping a more equitable society for Black women and their families. ➡️Let's work together to make a difference this Black History Month and beyond. Get in touch via DM today to collaborate!

Save the Date for the 2nd Annual Women's Health Summit! Get ready for an unforgettable experience as we bring you the ultimate event themed "Advancing Women’s Health"! 🗓 Date: 21/09/24 📍 Location: 10 Union Street, London SE1 1SZ This year, we’re focusing on everything that matters to young girls, women, and individuals assigned female at birth (AFAB). From navigating periods to embracing menopause, we've got something for everyone! Our three main focus areas: 1. Empowering young girls aged 10-18 2. Supporting pregnant women 3. Enhancing general women's health Our mission is simple and powerful: to empower every young girl and woman to raise their voices, advocate for themselves, and break down the barriers to essential support and resources. Stay tuned for exciting announcements about our incredible speakers and how to register! Details will be unveiled in the coming weeks. Interested in being a sponsor or vendor? Reach out to us at events@fivexmore.org – we’d love to have you on board! Let's come together to advance women’s health and make a difference. Mark your calendars and join us for a day of empowerment, education, and inspiration! #WomensHealthSummit #AdvancingWomensHealth #FiveXMore #Maternalhealth

Yesterday we had the honour of being interviewed by the inspirational Victoria Macdonald Health and Social Care editor for Channel 4 News. It felt like a real 360 moment as we have worked with Victoria in the past on some hard hitting news stories and yesterday we spoke about some interesting topics including: ✨ The use of the word Grassroots and how limiting it can be ✨ How our groundbreaking Black Maternity Experience report came about ✨ The lack of funding/ grants available for small but powerful organisations in the VCSE ✨ What true Co-Production looks like The #NHSConfedExpo as a whole was insightful and informative with a great range of exhibitors and some fantastic speakers. We hope to be back next year! Clotilde Rebecca Abe Atinuke Awe

We are proud to announce that last week Monday we were awarded inspirational women of the year by Marks and Spencer DailyMail.com supporting @the.wow alongside some other phenomenal women doing amazing things for their respective community’s. Carla Cressy Claire Lilly Lucy Vincent We haven’t had a chance to take it all in properly because we had our awareness week, but looking back at these official picture all we can say is wow! As part of the winners we were invited to Buckingham Palace on international women’s day for the @wow girls festival tour and we also had an Marks and Spencer photoshoot which was fun. We are still buzzing and can’t believe this has all happened and we are grateful and so proud of all the other winners too. 📸 @nealehaynes 📸 Pictures at the palace were taken by Ellie Kurttz/ArenaPAL #FiveXMore Clotilde Rebecca Abe Atinuke Awe

We are proud to announce that last week Monday we were awarded inspirational women of the year by Marks and Spencer DailyMail.com supporting @the.wow alongside some other phenomenal women doing amazing things for their respective community’s. Carla Cressy Claire Lilly Lucy Vincent We haven’t had a chance to take it all in properly because we had our awareness week, but looking back at these official picture all we can say is wow! As part of the winners we were invited to Buckingham Palace on international women’s day for the @wow girls festival tour and we also had an Marks and Spencer photoshoot which was fun. We are still buzzing and can’t believe this has all happened and we are grateful and so proud of all the other winners too. 📸 @nealehaynes 📸 Pictures at the palace were taken by Ellie Kurttz/ArenaPAL #FiveXMore Clotilde Rebecca Abe Atinuke Awe

Building on the achievements of the UK’s 5th annual Black Maternal Health Awareness Week, we are now preparing for another successful Women's Health Summit. Our inaugural summit last year addressed a range of topics, from cancer awareness and pregnancy challenges to the future of women's health, in front of a diverse and highly engaged audience. If your organisation is interested in sponsoring the upcoming event in September and being part of this movement towards inclusive women's health, please contact us at info@fivexmore.org.