Meet the Team

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.

Vongayi is a former banking professional with a degree in banking and finance. She was previously supported by Amma during a complicated pregnancy in 2020.

She is the Chairperson of the UK Chapter of Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe and is involved in campaigns to end human rights violations and violence against women and girls in her home country of Zimbabwe.

As the Advocacy & Community Engagement Manager, Vongayi plays a vital role in leading Amma’s advocacy work and driving community engagement initiatives. She leads and manages our Experts by Experience group and also advocates for policy changes and improved services by developing strategies, coordinating research, collaborating with stakeholders, and participating in community events.

Kate began her journey with Amma as a volunteer postnatal companion before becoming a Perinatal Team Leader. Kate has an extensive employment history in Women’s health, neonatal nursing & the homelessness sector in Melbourne, Australia, supporting newly arrived refugee and asylum seeking families. After moving to Scotland she worked as a nanny, providing family support. With her Special Care Nursing experience Kate has expertise in the postnatal period, caring for premature babies, twins, breastfeeding education, and support & memory making during infant loss. Kate is passionate about pregnancy and birth, maternal well being, access to care, advocacy and support for marginalised people.

Karen joined Team Amma from the British Red Cross Refugee Service, where she built up expertise in providing advice, support, and advocacy to people in crisis as a result of their migration status.

Karen has a wealth of understanding of the asylum process and the barriers faced by people within it. She has worked with a wide range of vulnerable groups and believes that people have a right to safety, security and to realise their potential no matter who they are and where they come from.

As Amma’s Referrals Manager, Karen is responsible for our clients’ journey through our support provision, from initial referral to pairing with a team of volunteers, attending antenatal class, gathering feedback and completing a final evaluation as our support period ends.

Amanda brings over a decade of experience in the third sector to her role as Head of Advocacy & Communications. Originally from Canada, she has worked with a range of charitable organisations across the UK and internationally.

Amanda first joined Amma as a volunteer birth companion before becoming a staff member in 2020. She now leads the organisation’s advocacy and communications work, driving systemic change through strategic communications, research, and policy engagement. Amanda also oversees all of Amma’s marketing and public relations activities, ensuring the voices of the people Amma supports are heard and valued.

Morag initially joined Amma in 2021 as a volunteer birth companion before becoming a Perinatal Team Leader in 2022. Upon her return from maternity leave in 2025, Morag entered into a new role as Operations Manager.

Morag is responsible for ensuring Amma’s governance and administrative functions run smoothly and efficiently by maintaining legal and regulatory compliance, supporting the CEO, and managing key office operations.

Morag has a young child who keeps her busy in her spare time. After training as a doula in 2016, she has been passionate for many years about maternity rights, support in pregnancy and beyond, and loves being able to support the valuable work Amma does from behind the scenes now.

Helen initially joined Amma as a volunteer birth companion and quickly became an integral part of the team. Her strong management skills and experience as a birth companion led to Helen becoming our Perinatal Services Manager. In this role Helen provides guidance and support to our Perinatal Team Leaders and our huge team of volunteer birth and postnatal companions in the day-to-day provision of service to clients.

Before joining Amma, Helen was a business owner for 13 years, prior to which, she had a career in the retail, banking, and finance sectors. Helen contributes extensive experience in training and staff development, as well as valuable expertise in GDPR and compliance issues.

As Amma’s Head of Partnerships and Fundraising, Abigail leads on all income generation for the charity — from grants and trusts to individual giving and corporate and community partnerships.

Abigail has extensive experience in the third sector, beginning in Corporate Events at ChildLine in 2004, followed by twelve years at Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, where she was part of the management team. She brings particular expertise in fundraising strategy and project management.

She cares deeply about equity, dignity and human connection – and about making sure the families that Amma supports are seen and heard, not just helped.

A mum of two, she is also a qualified hypnobirthing practitioner.

For more than a decade, Sarah has worked to support vulnerable people in the asylum process and those with insecure immigration status. In 2019, she co-founded Amma Birth Companions.

As Head of Services, Sarah oversees all aspects of our service delivery, including companionship, antenatal classes and peer support.

​Sarah also leads our monitoring and evaluation activities, helping to ensure Amma is achieving its mission and outcomes.