About this Event
Open to expecting or new mums with pre-walking babies (under 12 months)
Motherhood can bring joy, change and connection, but it can also bring anxiety, low mood, isolation, overwhelm and experiences that can be difficult to talk about.
This session is a gentle and practical workshop creating space to focus on the wellbeing of the mother as well as the baby. Together, we will explore what perinatal mental health can look like, some of the particular pressures and barriers Black mothers may experience, and how we can become more confident recognising when additional support may be needed.
We will talk openly about themes including the pressure to be the “strong Black woman”, stigma around mental health, fear of judgement or services, and the experience of not always feeling listened to or understood.
This is not about assuming every Black woman has the same experience. Instead, it is about creating space for conversations and experiences that can sometimes be overlooked or minimised.
Participants will also learn about community, NHS and specialist perinatal mental health support available across South East London and leave the session with a simple personal support plan identifying people, places and professional services they could turn to if they need support.
The workshop is a supportive and signposting space to empower mums to navigate their experiences and feel seen, heard and supported.
About the facilitators
Isha Daley is a Perinatal Peer Support Coordinator, Peer Support Educator and aspiring Professional Coach with experience supporting the development of peer-led and culturally responsive approaches to mental health and wellbeing.
Her work includes facilitating spaces for women to discuss their experiences of maternity and mental health services, developing peer-support initiatives, delivering training and supporting staff to consider how services can become more inclusive, accessible and responsive to the communities they serve.
She is particularly passionate about ensuring that mothers feel seen, heard and supported throughout pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period.
Natalie Martello is a Peer Support Advocate with Black Thrive, with extensive experience of delivering peer support across both statutory and community settings. Her background includes working within personality disorder services, perinatal mental health teams, and community-based support programmes, where she has developed a strong understanding of the importance of relational, trauma-informed and culturally responsive approaches to care.
Natalie has also worked collaboratively with organisations including Mind, supporting work focused on improving access, inclusion and engagement for people from diverse communities. Her practice is grounded in lived experience, partnership working and creating spaces where people feel heard, understood and able to access support in ways that are meaningful to them.
As part of this session, Natalie will support the facilitation of the workshop, bringing her peer support expertise, community perspective and experience of culturally responsive practice to the conversation around Black maternal mental health.
About The Bridge
The Bridge is a women’s health and wellbeing charity based in Southwark working to create inclusive and welcoming spaces for women of all identities to connect and thrive for over 90 years. We believe in a fairer society where women’s voices are heard and their health and wellbeing are valued and respected. Through our women-only gym, community café, wellbeing programmes and support groups, we help women care for themselves, support one another and challenge injustices together.
How to contribute
At The Bridge, we’re all about working together and building meaningful partnerships with the women in our community. We believe that everyone has something valuable to offer, and that means everyone has a role in shaping our work—because The Bridge belongs to all of us. We celebrate each person’s unique strengths and contributions, creating opportunities for everyone to get involved in a way that feels right for them.
Whether you give your time, skills, or financial support, every contribution means we’re working together to make The Bridge the space we want it to be.
One way to support our work is through our pay-what-you-can model, which ensures that our activities and events are accessible to all while allowing space for contributions to go towards helping us sustain what we do. Whatever you choose to give, it all makes a difference.
Want to get involved and contribute in other ways? We’d love to hear from you!
Contact us at: [email protected]
Event venue & nearby stays
The Bridge, 73 – 81 Southwark Bridge Road, London, United Kingdom
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.