Meet the Team

Maree has nearly 20 years’ experience of working in the third sector in Scotland, having worked with organisations that tackle homelessness, poverty and marginalisation. She was previously CEO of the International Network of Street Papers (INSP), a Glasgow-based NGO that leads and develops a network of 90+ social enterprise organisations (including The Big Issue magazine) in 35 countries worldwide.

Throughout her career, Maree has been involved in work that supports and provides opportunities to vulnerable and marginalised people, and she is passionate about women’s rights and reproductive rights.

Maree is also a trustee of A Moment’s Peace – a theatre company that focuses on social justice, activism and community engagement.

Miana is Amma’s Team Administrator, joining us after working for the British Red Cross for many years. Miana looks after our Amma Home, making sure that our office and groupwork rooms are up to scratch. She’s the first point of contact for volunteers and clients who come to visit us, answers the phones and keeps the day to day Amma operations running smoothly.

Jenny is an experienced postpartum doula, breastfeeding counsellor and birth educator. She has extensive experience providing doula support to families from all walks of life and is committed to contributing to a fairer and safer landscape for all birthing people.

Jenny initially worked with Amma as a senior postnatal companion and mentor to the postnatal volunteers before taking on her current role as our Volunteer Manager.

Christelle is an experienced administrator and bookkeeper with a good financial background.

She has volunteered with the Scottish Refugee Council in Glasgow and has an extensive knowledge of the asylum process and realities asylum seekers face.

Christelle has been involved with Amma Birth Companions since 2019, starting as a volunteer before joining the staff team in 2021.

Beti first became involved in Amma as a birth companion, later training to provide postnatal support. Her background is in community art and activism. Beti uses textile and fibre arts to explore the subversive power of traditionally feminised craft practices, and she has experience in facilitating art workshops with diverse groups including people with additional support needs and survivors of trauma.

As an activist and organiser, Beti has been involved in movements for reproductive justice, the safety and labour rights of people working in the sex industry and disability rights. Beti is also interested in therapeutic gardening and folk herbalism and hopes to bring these interests into her role with Amma to support the wellbeing of the members of the Amma Family Programme.

Ema is a storyteller, teacher, writer, filmmaker and bridge-builder. Her career spans a range of work from producing, writing and directing film and television to teaching yoga and English as a foreign language.

Ema also brings skills in marketing, events planning, and graphic and visual design to her role as Communications Officer at Amma, a cause that is very close to her heart. Ema had her own daughter in the depths of the Covid19 lockdown and is passionate about supporting people through this most tender and challenging time, as well as working to fight against systemic injustice.

Linzi is one of our three Perinatal Team Leaders who look after our clients, leading small teams of volunteer birth and postnatal companions who provide care, information and advocacy to the people we support through pregnancy, birth and into early parenthood.

Linzi brings huge experience in birthwork to Amma: she studied Maternity Care at college, and has previously worked as a Perinatal Family Support Worker. Linzi is also a trained breastfeeding peer supporter and hypnobirthing teacher.  She lives in Glasgow with her husband and four children.

Clara joined the Amma Peer Support team in July 2022 and brings with her a wealth of knowledge and over 20 years’ experience facilitating groups, having led projects in Sydney, Athens, and Glasgow, advocating for the rights of refugees and asylum seekers, with particular attention to birthing people and children.

Whilst in Greece she co-founded and managed Velos Youth, a charity for refugee youth in the city, providing food, recreational activities, and psychosocial support for unaccompanied minors. This time in Greece was formative in her understanding of issues surrounding Gender based violence, trafficking and safeguarding.

Having returned to the UK a few years ago, Clara now has a little girl of her own and is excited to be a part of the Amma Family.

Originally from New Zealand, Sam joined Amma as a volunteer postnatal companion in 2021 before becoming part of the expanded staff team in Summer 2022. Before coming to work for Amma, Sam worked in social care and as a teacher and a nanny and brings huge experience in the postnatal period and children’s early years development, as well as a special interest in newborn care, to the Amma team.

Sam has witnessed the transformation of new parents as they become confident and comfortable in their new role, and the beneficial knock-on effects that this can have in their and their child’s life.