Sandra Igwe is a leading advocate for Black maternal health, TEDx speaker, author, and founder of two pioneering initiatives: The Motherhood Group, a UK-based maternal health organisation transforming care for Black women, and Blackmums, a digital, AI-powered support platform offering culturally responsive peer support, therapy, and wellbeing resources to Black mothers and birthing people.

Sandra’s work is deeply rooted in community, lived experience, and strategic influence. Through The Motherhood Group, she has launched some of the UK’s most impactful maternal health initiatives, including Black Maternal Mental Health Week UK, the Black Maternal Health Conference UK, and the landmark Black Maternal Mental Health Report—produced in partnership with the Maternal Mental Health Alliance and Centre for Mental Health—the largest report of its kind, calling for urgent and systemic action. To date, Sandra has engaged with over 18,000 Black mothers through events, campaigns, peer-led programmes, and research. She also hosts The Motherhood Group Podcast, a platform spotlighting the lived experiences of Black mothers, amplifying underrepresented voices, and deepening public understanding of maternal inequalities.

She is the author of My Black Motherhood: Mental Health, Stigma, Racism and the System, which sheds light on the mental health impact of racism in maternity care. The book is part of the NHS-endorsed Reading Well Scheme, ensuring accessibility across UK libraries and GP surgeries as a vital resource for both parents and healthcare professionals.

Sandra serves as a critical bridge between Black mothers and health and care systems, shaping policy and practice from the inside. She holds advisory and leadership roles across system-wide change efforts, including as a member of the South East London Black Maternal Health Expert Reference Group (ICB), a Specialised Commissioning Patient and Public Voice Partner for NHS England’s Mental Health Programme of Care, and as Expert by Experience Lead for NHS E&I’s Perinatal Collaborative.

She has delivered cultural competency training to over 7,000 healthcare professionals, working with NHS Trusts such as Kent and Medway, Sussex Partnership, Kettering General Hospital, and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. Her work directly influences how healthcare professionals understand and support Black women through pregnancy, birth, and postnatal care.

Sandra’s advocacy and thought leadership have been featured in Vogue UK and Forbes, where she was named one of the UK’s most influential women in social impact. She has appeared on CNN, BBC, ITV, Sky News, Channel 4, and Channel 5, and has delivered keynote talks for organisations including Nike Women, Dove, MBRRACE-UK, and UBS.

She is the recipient of multiple national accolades, including the National Lottery Game Changer Award, the Everywoman Entrepreneur for Good Award, and Santander’s Social Entrepreneur of the Year.

Sandra has worked in partnership with organisations such as Meta, Genomics England, NHS England, Tommy’s, NSPCC, PANDAS Foundation, Elvie, John Lewis, Palma’s, Levi’s, Royal College of Midwives, Mental Health Foundation, Sands, Doula UK, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, King’s College London, Active Iron, Baby Lifeline, London South Bank University, and Impact on Urban Health, among others—making her a reputable voice and thought leader in maternal health equity and innovation.

Other projects Sandra is involved with:

• The Motherhood Group, a UK-based maternal health organisation transforming care for Black women.
• Blackmums, a digital, AI-powered support platform offering culturally responsive peer support, therapy, and wellbeing resources to Black mothers and birthing people.