I still remember the moment my name was read out at the RCM Awards last year. I was so shocked that I went the wrong way up the stage! I hadn’t expected to win at all – I was just proud to have been nominated. To be recognised as the RCM’s Unsung Hero was such an honour, and it’s a moment that truly boosted my confidence in what I do.  

Winning the award told me that the work I do in improving equality matter. My passion has always been about creating fairness and equality in maternity care, and it’s not always an easy path. But the night I won the Unsung Hero award, I realised people were watching – even if they don’t always say it or appreciate what I do. That thought has carried me through this past year.  

Since winning the award, I’ve continued to focus on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) at University College London Hospitals (UCLH). This is the 21st century and we can’t keep brushing EDI under the carpet. We need to talk about it and we need to act.  

When I first started pushing for more conversations and action on EDI at UCLH, we didn’t have a dedicated lead for this work – now, we do. That feels like a huge step forward, because having someone whose role is to focus on EDI shows that it’s being taken seriously. It means our staff and our maternity service users know that these issues matter.  

I believe in justice and in honesty – if something isn’t right, I can’t stay quiet about it. Winning the award gave me the motivation to keep doing what I do best: speaking up for others, especially for those whose voices aren’t always heard.  

One of my personal goals has always been to speak in front of a large crowd about what I believe in. In September, I addressed the TUC Congress in Brighton, calling on the trade union movement to stand with us to tackle inequalities in maternity care. So many people came up to me afterwards to say my speech was powerful and it reminded me why I do this work. Inequalities in maternity care are still a reality, and there’s still instability in some places, but I will never stop pushing for change.  

This past year has been a whirlwind, but it has also been grounding. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is the importance of being yourself. When you believe in yourself, and when you keep at it even when it’s hard, you can achieve things you never imagined.  

I’ve discovered an inner strength I didn’t realise I had. There’s something inside me that says: “Don’t believe in those who put you down.” So I don’t. I carry on, because I know the work matters – and because I want a better, fairer future for the people we care for, and for the colleagues who work alongside me.