Supporting refugee & asylum-seeking birthing people/parents
Who Are We?
UPLIFT is a community-led, NIHR-funded research project focused on improving
perinatal mental health support for asylum-seeking and refugee (ASR) birthing people/parents in the UK.
Our team includes researchers, lived-experience experts, midwives, and creative
practitioners, working in close partnership with grassroots organisations such
as Leeds Refugee Forum and City of Sanctuary Maternity Stream.
Through our outreach platform, Me & Ma, we engage ASR birthing people/parents in welcoming, accessible ways – using social media (TikTok and Instagram), podcasts, workshops, and video storytelling to share voices and spark change.
Our social media outreach is called Me & Ma, which reflects two powerful ideas:
Me – your identity, feelings and well-being matter.
Ma – motherhood is a journey that deserves support.
Support
Education
Workshops
Together, Me & Ma reminds us that every birthing person/parent is also a person – with her own story, strength, and right to support.
What We Do
At UPLIFT, we combine research, community engagement, and creative media to:
- Understand the unique perinatal mental health challenges ASR birthing people/parents face, including trauma, isolation, and barriers to care
- Co-create content that shares stories, explains mental health in simple terms, and builds awareness
- Host focus groups and workshops that offer support and amplify voices within the ASR community
- Build a digital platform as a multilingual, accessible hub for resources, events, and services related to maternal wellbeing
- Collaborate with ASR-led organisations to ensure our work is grounded in lived experience
Our digital presence gives ASR mothers a space to be seen, heard, and supported – with tools that reflect their reality.
Why We Exist
overlapping barriers to accessing vital mental health care:
Language and cultural differences
Stigma around mental health
Poor access to services and trusted information
Trauma from displacement, unsafe pregnancies, or isolation
These challenges can have long-term effects on birthing people/parents, children, and families.
UPLIFT exists to listen, learn, and transform the system – by making ASR
birthing people/parents central to the conversation on perinatal mental health.
We believe that change begins when voices are heard – and our project is about
making space for those voices.
Connect with us on Instagram
We are on TikTok!