Ash is a unique facilitator: they combine careers in NHS midwifery, research, and education with life as a trans non-binary person in the UK. This means they can interweave the most up-to-date and highest quality research evidence with lived experiences, providing accessible and impactful learning with achievable “Next Steps” for service improvement. For demonstrating outstanding work in improving inclusivity and making perinatal services a safer space for those from the LGBTQ+ community, in 2024, Ash was awarded Student Midwife of the Year at the UK’s Student Nursing Times Awards.
Ash’s facilitation experience ranges from teaching non-English-speaking secondary-school pupils with distinct learning needs to supervising and lecturing final-year undergraduates at the University of Cambridge to training clinicians and field leaders in the NHS. They hold a PGCE and Qualified Teacher Status following graduation from Teach First’s Leadership Development Programme. Ash understands how to meet people exactly where they are on their learning journey, and how to make this learning relevant. They also specialise in sensitive communication to establish good working relationships, particularly where trust in institutions has been lost.
Professional Experience, Highlights and Distinctions:
- Organisations Ash has supported with LGBTQ+ and gender inclusion include White Ribbon Alliance UK, a people-led movement that asks, listens, and acts to advance sexual and reproductive health and gender equality, and safer pregnancy charity MAMA Academy.
- They are the author of textbook chapter ‘Pregnancy loss’ in Pride in Birth: a guide to providing LGBTQ+ inclusive reproductive healthcare (Routledge, 2025).
- They co-authored ‘Gender-inclusive language in midwifery and perinatal services: a guide and argument for justice’ (Pezaro et al, 2024), which at the time of writing remains international journal Birth’s most downloaded article.
- Ash is a steering group member of the James Lind Alliance research Priority Setting Partnership for LGBTQIA+ people on pregnancy, birth, infant feeding, and the first year after birth. This project is working to find the ‘unanswered questions’ that LGBTQIA+ people and healthcare professionals believe are the most important for research to answer in a bid to direct future research focus and funding.
- They regularly present at universities across the UK about how to support LGBTQ+ families navigating pregnancy, birth, and infant feeding.
- Ash proudly transforms experience and evidence into practice via in-person discussion and resource creation.
- Ash created a gender inclusive language guide and crib sheet that was circulated nationally to all Maternity and Neonatal Voice Partnerships, and regularly contributes to training and policy at local and national levels.