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2025-03-31-accounts

Charity no. 1151152

Birthrights Report and Unaudited Financial Statements

31 March 2025

Birthrights

Reference and administrative details

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Charity number 1151152
Registered office Birthrights
Union House
111 New Union Street
Coventry
CV1 2NT
Trustees The trustees who served during the year and up to the date of this report
were as follows:
Naomi Allen (appointed 14 August 2024)
Alix-Louise Anderson (resigned 31 December 2024)
Amelia Christie (appointed 14 August 2024)
Dr Ria May Clarke
Inderjit Cross (resigned 7 August 2024)
John Davis (resigned 31 December 2024
Elise Denis-Ramirez (appointed 14 August 2024)
Tatheer Fatima (appointed 22 November 2024)
Krystal Lashley-Scrivener (appointed 14 August 2024)
Marcia Lord (resigned 31 December 2024
Simon Mehigan (resigned 16 July 2024)
Roisin Mulroney (appointed 14 August 2024)
Dr Annabel Sowemimo (appointed 14 August 2024)
Interim Chief Executive Tracey Fletcher (appointed 18 June 2025)
Co-Chief Executives Shanthi Gunesekera (resigned 18 June 2025)
Janaki Mahadevan (resigned 18 June 2025)
Bankers The Co-operative Bank
Olympic House
6 Olympic Court
Montford Street
Salford
M5 2QP
Independent examiners Godfrey Wilson Limited
Chartered accountants and statutory auditors
5th Floor Mariner House
62 Prince Street
Bristol
BS1 4QD

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Birthrights

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Introduction from our Interim Chair

Amid a system in crisis, it is the unwavering courage, clarity and determination of our staff and the communities we stand with that give me hope. Every day, people rise—refusing to be silenced, uplifting truths long ignored, and demanding the care, dignity and justice that every woman and birthing person is owed.

In a year when the scale of injustice in maternity care was laid bare repeatedly, we met it with fierce, strategic action – providing rights-based advice and support, training healthcare professionals, challenging harmful practices, and holding institutions to account. We’ve launched our ambitious campaign against Home-birth Restrictions, demanded legal reform through our SAFE Maternity Care Act, and amplified the experiences of those on the sharpest edge of inequality. And we’ve done all of this while strengthening the foundation of our organisation and expanding our vision through our new 10-year strategic framework.

This work has been made possible by the extraordinary leadership of our outgoing Co-CEOs, Shanthi Gunesekera and Janaki Mahadevan. Their vision, empathy and determination helped shape a more resilient, values-driven and justice-centred Birthrights. Under their leadership, we built a powerful 10year strategy, deepened our commitment to racial justice, strengthened our internal culture and infrastructure, and renewed our connection to grassroots communities. We thank them both with deep respect and admiration.

We know systemic change can’t happen in isolation. We are proud to work alongside funders who understand that the maternity crisis is a human rights crisis — and that meaningful progress requires long-term, values-driven investment in ways which work with and alongside communities to name injustice and centre the voices of those pushed to the margins.

To every woman and birthing person who trusted us with your story — we are deeply grateful, and your strength fuels our fight. To every ally, partner, supporter and funder who stood with us — we are honoured by your belief in us and it drives us forward in our mission to build a better system. As we enter a new year under new, exciting leadership, we are more determined than ever to co-create a future where every woman and birthing person can access maternity care that honours their autonomy, defends their rights, and protects their safety, free from coercion, discrimination or harm.

Krystal Lashley-Scrivener

Interim Chair of the Birthrights Board of Trustees

Gratitude

On behalf of the Birthrights team, our Board of Trustees and the communities we serve, we extend our deepest gratitude to the funders who stand with us as committed partners in justice. Your belief in our work and your investment in change make our mission possible.

We thank our Trust and Foundation funders— A&O Shearman Sterling Foundation, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, John Ellerman Foundation, Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, LEF (Legal Education Foundation), a private family charitable Trust, Rosa, Sigrid Rausing Trust, The Baring Foundation, and The Tudor Trust —along with our corporate allies Irwin Mitchell. You have chosen to back bold, rights-based change when it is most urgently needed.

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Birthrights

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2025

To every individual who has contributed—whether through donations, partnerships or platforming our work—thank you. You are part of a growing movement that is unflinching in its demand for safe, respectful and equitable maternity care.

And to our wider community of supporters: we see your commitment, your courage and your solidarity. Together, we are not just imagining a better future—we are building it.

Structure, governance and management

Birthrights is a charitable incorporated organisation and is registered with the Charity Commission with charity number 1151152.

The method of recruitment and appointment of trustees is set out in its governing document: the constitution. During the year, 5 trustees stood down between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 following their end of terms as trustees, including: former Treasurer John Davis; Simon Mehigan; Alix Anderson; Inderjit Cross; and Marcia Lord. We have also welcomed seven new trustees to the Board – Krystal Lashley-Scrivener, Amelia Christie, Naomi Allen, Roisin Mulroney, Elise Denis-Ramirez, Annabel Sowemimo and Tatheer Fatima – all of whom have played an active role in the governance of the organisation throughout the year.

Our Board of Trustees currently consists of eight women, most of whom have lived experience of pregnancy and birth. Trustees bring a diverse range of professional experience including healthcare professionals, doulas, human rights, governance, finance, campaigns and communications, fundraising, academia and reproductive justice activism.

The trustees are responsible for making decisions on the management of all the affairs of Birthrights, including deciding on how the funds of the charity are to be spent. The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error.

The full Board of trustees met four times during 2024/25, plus an additional trustee away day where the trustees carried out training and a review of Birthrights’ strategy. The Finance, Audit and Risk Committee also met four times in this period.

Objectives and Activities

About

Our vision is of a world where women and birthing people can access safe maternity care that fully respects their right to bodily autonomy and self-agency, free from discrimination, coercion and violence.

Birthrights is the leading authority on the fundamental human rights of women and birthing people during pregnancy and birth. We believe that everyone is entitled to respectful maternity care that protects their fundamental rights to dignity, autonomy, privacy and equality. We provide free advice and legal information to women and birthing people, train healthcare professionals and birth workers to deliver rights-respecting care and campaign to change maternity policy and systems. Our research shines a spotlight on those most at risk of human rights violations in pregnancy and birth due to structural disadvantage and discrimination.

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Birthrights

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Our work is critical to not only transforming the experiences and outcomes for individuals, but also in shifting wider policy, practice and systems. We do this by empowering and supporting women and birthing people, training healthcare professionals, holding systems and institutions to account and making visible the diverse experiences of maternity care.

Aims

The aim of Birthrights is to promote the human rights of child-bearing women and birthing people in England and Wales. These rights are set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and subsequent United Nations conventions and declarations, and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

Our 10 year strategic framework, which was established in 2024, sets out our four strategic aims:

Our strategic framework centres our work to create systemic change for the most marginalised communities in all that we do as an organisation. We have translated this into the following key priorities:

Activities

The Objects of Birthrights, as set out in our Constitution, include:

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Birthrights

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2025

When planning our activities for the year, the trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the specific guidance on charities for the promotion of human rights.

The Trust has referred to the terms of the Scheme and the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing its aims and objectives and planning future activities. In particular the Trustees consider how proposed activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set.

Achievements and Performance 2024/25

Highlights from the Year

This year has been one of momentum, courage and purpose for Birthrights. We have strengthened our position as a trusted expert on how human rights law applies to maternity care, while pushing forward a powerful shift in the way maternity care is received, practised and governed. Through every facet of our work – from direct support to campaigning – we have remained rooted in the voices, rights and hopes of women and birthing people. Some of the key highlights from 2024–25 include:

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Birthrights

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Strategic Aim 1: Equipping women and birthing people and their supporters with information and advice to advocate for their rights and navigate maternity systems, providing more intensive support and advocacy for those who are most likely to be marginalised and least likely to be heard.

We are determined to ensure that every woman and birthing person has access to the information they need , exactly when and how they need it—clear, accessible, and on their terms. Our commitment to open-sourcing our expertise reflects our belief in the power of self-advocacy: when people understand their rights, they are better able to assert them and demand the dignity and respect they are entitled to.

In the past year, we have worked with purpose to reach those most at risk of facing discrimination or poor maternity care. Our factsheets are now available in 16 languages, with plans to include three more—among them British Sign Language—so that no one is excluded from vital knowledge because of language barriers.

We’ve extended our reach by building trust within marginalised communities. From women in immigration detention to neurodivergent parents, and through groups such as The Motherhood Group during Black Maternal Mental Health Week and Pregnancy Sickness Support, we’ve gone beyond digital tools. Our 'Birth Rights Passport' is one such example—offering women and birthing people a practical, tangible way to assert their rights in healthcare settings where they may otherwise be dismissed or devalued.

We’ve also amplified our voice in the public sphere, challenging systemic failures in maternity care and reaching a broad, diverse audience. From media coverage in The Voice, Stylist, and The Sunday Times, to collaborating on a televised birth trauma storyline and working with playwright Phoebe McIntosh, we are shifting narratives and creating space for truth, healing, and accountability. Our Home Birth campaign secured national attention across ITV platforms, including a featured report with lasting presence on their website.

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Birthrights

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Our impact continues to grow . Our social media following rose by 3,500 this year—now totalling over 53,000. Our online resources were accessed more than 192,000 times by over 17,850 unique users, and our factsheets downloaded over 2,000 times—a measurable increase in demand for rightsbased information.

When people need deeper, tailored support, our information and advice team is there. This year, we supported 599 women and birthing people with personalised advice, helping them understand their rights and navigate complex maternity systems. This work is rooted in traumainformed, empathetic practice that validates people’s experiences while equipping them to selfadvocate with confidence.

We are proud that our work is reaching a broader spectrum of the population. Less than half of those who contacted us identified as white British, and 1 in 10 enquiries came from healthcare professionals—an encouraging sign that we are influencing both individuals and the systems around them. From remote rural communities to urban centres, we are building knowledge, strengthening resilience, and supporting people to secure rights-respecting maternity care.

This work has led to real, structural change. Together with individuals, we have:

The people we support tell us again and again how life-changing our help has been:

Our work is more than information-sharing—it is transformational. It ensures that women and birthing people can step into their power, and that human rights are upheld in every stage of the maternity journey.

Strategic Aim 2: Increase awareness and understanding of how the law applies to maternity care and why this matters amongst women and birthing people and their supporters, and those who design, manage, deliver and regulate maternity care.

At Birthrights, we believe that legal literacy is a powerful tool for change. When individuals and institutions understand how human rights law applies to maternity care, they are better equipped to uphold those rights in practice—and to challenge systems that fail to deliver respectful, rights-based care.

We operate a frontline-to-policy model, where insights from our advice service directly shape our training content and advocacy priorities. This ensures our work remains grounded in lived experience and responsive to the evolving challenges people face in the maternity system.

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Birthrights

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Over the past year, we delivered 93 training sessions, reaching over 541 maternity professionals across 42 NHS Trusts in England and Wales. Our participants include midwives, anaesthetists, neonatologists, paramedics, birth workers, and staff from maternity regulatory bodies. Every session is co-led by two expert trainers—one with a legal background (often a practising lawyer) and one with a healthcare background (often a practising midwife)—ensuring both rigour and relevance.

To expand our reach and sustain the impact of this work, we recruited and inducted 13 new Associate Trainers this year, each bringing critical frontline experience and a shared commitment to advancing human rights in maternity care.

The feedback from our training remains consistently powerful and affirming. In our annual survey:

Some of the feedback we received includes:

We know that systemic change is only possible when power and knowledge are shared at every level. That’s why, alongside professional training, we are investing in community power-building . With vital funding, we’ve begun delivering free and subsidised training to grassroots civil society organisations —many of whom are trusted voices within marginalised communities. These sessions equip them to support their communities to demand rights-based care, embedding long-term knowledge, capacity, and agency at the local level.

Beyond formal training, we are committed to creating change by engaging widely—bringing legal and lived expertise into the spaces where maternity policy is being shaped. Throughout the year, we have:

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Birthrights

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Through this work, we are not only educating professionals and policy influencers—we are also shifting mindsets, building accountability, and creating a maternity system where rights are understood, upheld, and fiercely defended.

Strategic Aim 3: Hold institutions to account and, using the law strategically, stand ever ready to take action where the law is not upheld in policy or practice.

We stand ready to act wherever the law is not upheld in maternity policy or practice. Over the past year, we have sharpened our legal voice and campaigning power, holding institutions accountable and pushing for meaningful change grounded in the lived experiences of women and birthing people.

In March 2025, we published our landmark report Access Denied: Restrictions to Home Birth in the UK , a powerful body of evidence exposing the widespread erosion of birth choice across the country. Drawing on:

This report documents not only the current state of home birth services, but also the emotional, physical and legal impact of blanket suspensions and restrictions. It makes clear, with urgency and clarity, what must change to protect the right of every person to make informed decisions about their care, including where and how they give birth.

We have developed a detailed dissemination plan to ensure the report’s findings reach healthcare leaders, policymakers, and communities most affected—amplifying voices that have too often been ignored and pressing for accountability at every level.

Our long-term vision is structural change. In 2024, we launched our campaign for a new SAFE Maternity Care Act, demanding a legal framework that puts Safety, Accountability, Freedom of Choice, and Equity at the heart of maternity care. We’ve built a multi-year strategy and theory of change, combining community mobilisation, public awareness, and targeted parliamentary engagement to ensure this vision becomes law.

We continue to stand in solidarity with wider human rights and reproductive justice movements, working in alliance with others to protect universal rights. This includes our membership in the Save Our Human Rights Act Coalition and our public support for Dame Diana Johnson MP’s amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill.

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Birthrights

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2025

We’ve also taken swift and strategic action in response to rights violations on the ground. We wrote to multiple hospitals to challenge ongoing restrictions on birth partners—restrictions that have persisted far beyond the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. To enable broader pressure and action, we developed clear, accessible template letters and guidance for individuals and healthcare professionals to use in asserting their rights and holding institutions to account.

In moments of national crisis, we’ve acted decisively to demand protections for those most at risk. In the summer of 2024, as racist and Islamophobic violence erupted across parts of the UK, fuelled by dehumanising political rhetoric, we responded with urgency and resolve. We wrote to local, regional and national policymakers, insisting that emergency and resilience plans include pregnant people—particularly Black, Brown and Muslim communities—and that access to the full spectrum of maternity care be safeguarded. We also pushed for measures to protect the safety and wellbeing of maternity staff during times of social unrest.

To bolster our strategic legal capacity, we appointed a new internal Legal Lead in December 2024—a qualified lawyer tasked with developing high-impact legal strategies aligned with our campaign priorities. Already, this work is making a difference. We are:

We know that change doesn’t come easily. But with every letter, every campaign, every legal challenge, we are raising the bar for accountability and building a maternity system where no one’s rights can be ignored or denied . We are unapologetic in our mission: to stand up, speak out, and use the law to defend the dignity, autonomy and safety of all women and birthing people.

Work in community to catalyse systemic change through research and evidence, policy and advocacy, litigation and campaigns.

A maternity system that truly upholds the rights and dignity of women and birthing people is not just a moral imperative—it is foundational to reducing trauma, delivering safe care, and improving outcomes for all. But we know that lasting change will only come through structural transformation. And we know that the most powerful change is collective —when it’s rooted in community, led by those most impacted, and fuelled by solidarity.

At the heart of our approach is the belief that those who are most harmed and marginalised by the current system are also those best placed to imagine something better. That’s why we invest in longterm, trusting relationships with grassroots and community-led groups—particularly those working with people facing multiple forms of oppression. Together, we are not just fighting against injustice—we are building a future where birth justice is a reality for all.

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Birthrights

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2025

- Community led Research and Imaginings for the Future

This year, we secured vital funding from the Tudor Trust to launch ‘ Communities Imagine ’—a bold new multi-year, community-led research programme inspired by our Race Inquiry. But rather than simply documenting what’s broken, Communities Imagine creates space for communities to articulate what maternity care could and should be: the care they want for their children, grandchildren, and future generations. It is a space for hope, strategy and action. This programme will shape the foundation of our future policy and legal campaigns, ensuring that any change to maternity legislation is rooted in the visions and leadership of the communities most failed by the current system .

Collective Action and Cross-Movement Solidarity

Our strength lies in collaboration. We continue to work alongside sister organisations to fight for change, including as proud members of the Save Our Human Rights Act coalition (hosted by Liberty). We’ve partnered with We Level Up in the campaign to end the imprisonment of pregnant women—contributing to vital changes in the Sentencing Council’s guidelines—and we’ve worked with BPAS to advance abortion rights. Our reach extends through trusted partnerships with organisations including Black Mothers Matter, Neurodivergent Birth, Happy Baby Community, Birth Companions, Maternity Action, The Motherhood Group, Bawso , and Fair Treatment of Women of Wales . These alliances enable us to connect with a broad and diverse range of communities and ensure our work resonates at the grassroots.

We bring the voices of these communities directly to decision-makers, sitting on the NHS Maternity and Neonatal Stakeholder Council, the NHS taskforce on racial disparities in maternity, and regularly providing evidence to parliamentary inquiries and public forums.

- Strengthening Our Foundations for Long Term Impact

This past year has also been one of internal transformation for Birthrights. We’ve focused on deepening our commitment to racial justice , building organisational resilience, and recognising the emotional weight of the work we do. As we’re increasingly exposed to traumatic accounts of birth trauma, consent violations and racism, we’ve made it a priority to ensure that our staff team has the support they need to continue this vital work with energy, integrity and care.

Through a series of workshops and staff surveys, we co-developed a wellbeing plan that has already seen impactful steps:

We’ve also been working since July 2024 with JMB Consultancy , alongside thought-leaders Martha Awojobi and Khadijah Diskin , to embed racial justice and anti-oppression across all areas of our work—from communications to service delivery. We know this is long-term, generational work. It requires space, reflection, and humility—and we are committed to staying with it for the long haul.

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Birthrights

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Looking Forward: Broadening Our Reach, Deepening Our Impact

As we look to the future, we are mapping opportunities to connect our work across movements —because the fight for justice in maternity care intersects with many other struggles: feminism, racial justice, disability justice, migrant justice, queer and trans justice, and health equity .

By reaching out beyond our immediate sector and building alliances across the wider social justice ecosystem, we can amplify our collective voice and accelerate the systemic change we all seek. It’s this intersectional, collaborative approach that will help us forge the enabling environment needed to secure long-term, transformational change in maternity care— not just for now, but for generations to come.

Principal risks and uncertainties

The staff team are essential to the identification, evaluation and management of risks, and we have tried during the year to build wider thinking and planning of risks and mitigations into every layer of our team’s planning. We try to approach risk management not as a compliance exercise, but as a vital tool in proactively protecting our people, our communities and our impact. We have regular, open discussion around immediate, emerging and long-term risks across a range of categories, including: governance, financial, operational and external, as well as identifying unexpected issues that have arisen within our operations.

The Finance, Audit and Risk Committee reviews the risk register regularly and Birthrights’ trustees determine how much risk the charity is willing to take in the pursuit of its objectives. The Finance, Audit and Risk Committee reviews the operational effectiveness of the risk management and it reports its findings to the Board, identifying any matters on which it considers action is needed, and making recommendations on the steps to be taken.

The following principal risks have been identified by the Board:

  1. Staff Capacity and Wellbeing Risk : The sheer volume and complexity of our work—from high-volume individual case support, to legal strategy, national campaigning, and deep grassroots community engagement—places a high emotional and logistical burden on a small and highly committed team. We have a bold and wide-reaching strategic agenda, with a strong sense of responsibility to act on multiple fronts, but the risk of stretching ourselves too thinly to meet demand needs to be managed proactively. Our work requires depth, focus, a core infrastructure to support it and an energised workforce to deliver it. The impact of this risk could lead to staff burnout; damaged relationships within the team; high staff turnover leading to low morale; slower progress on key projects; or a reduced quality/pause in service delivery.

Mitigations : Mitigations are already underway to safeguard against this risk, including the investment secured in staff wellbeing through clinical supervision, an emergency counselling fund and a personal wellbeing allowance – but this needs to be maintained, managed and built on further as our work deepens. Mitigations around the expansion of our services to meet the bold demands of our strategy are focussed around careful prioritisation of our work – as set out in our 3 year delivery plan – staged rollouts, better cross-team communication and ownership of projects; and realigning workstreams eg. our financial processes to ensure they are as streamlined as possible.

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Birthrights

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2025

  1. Financial Sustainability Risk : Birthrights, like many not-for-profit organisations, is operating in an uncertain funding environment, where there is a high level of demand for a reduced availability of funds across every facet of society. Alongside this, many of our funding sources are based around vital projectbased work which is essential, but often focuses on short-term goals with restricted funding, placing greater pressure on us to find alternative ways to secure the resources for the generational work that needs to be done. The risk is that without adequate funding for core functions, such as our operations, legal strategy development, internal infrastructure and staff wellbeing, the capacity to drive generational change may be more limited. This could make us less agile to respond to emerging issues, sustain growth or invest in team development. It also means that we are more exposed as an organisation to changes in funding cycles, or if any key funders withdraw their support.

Mitigations: In response, we have worked hard this year to build long-lasting partnerships and deep relationships with funders who are aligned to long-term movement building work to drive systemic change. With the appointment of our new Fundraising Manager and under the leadership of our new CEO, we will continue to grow the proportion of unrestricted/core income for example through our training income and operating grants. We are also strengthening our financial controls, systems and reporting and investing in our finance function, to help support the core operations of the team, but also to improve management of our funding streams to ensure regular, accurate reporting to our funders. This will build trust within our partnerships as well as enabling the team to remain agile in reviewing the impact of our work with each funder.

3. Leadership Transition and Succession

Risk: The transition to a new Chief Executive (and upcoming permanent Chair recruitment) could lead to organisational instability and increased staff anxiety, with a potential impact on the momentum, pace and quality of delivery amidst senior leadership uncertainty. Alongside this, as a new CEO inevitably brings a fresh leadership style, we must be alert to the risk that this could potentially have in terms of staff and partner relationships; clarity of vision and wider trust around continuation of our deep-rooted values of anti-oppression, collective care and radical justice.

Mitigation : As a Board of Trustees we are very aware of the unsettling impact changes at senior levels of the organisation can have and have worked hard to mitigate against this. We have developed a strong communications plan to keep staff updated and reassured during the CEO recruitment campaign, including meeting separately with staff members and joining team meetings and away days; established a specific Working Group of the trustees to manage the process, ensuring smooth delivery of the recruitment with full input from key stakeholders – including staff engagement sessions as a formal part of the interview process. We have also prioritised our communications with key funders to continue to build these partnerships and have worked with an external recruiter to embed our values of anti-oppression into every stage of the recruitment process.

As the new CEO joins the organisation, we are developing a clear transition plan and onboarding strategy which will include a deep induction to our organisational culture, history and values of anti-oppression, as well as an ongoing plan for reflective leadership practice – continuing our journey on anti-racism with JMB as well as wider justice coaching and exploring ways to embed value-based leadership amongst the whole of SLT. The Board are also maintaining strong oversight and alignment to our strategic plan to ensure continued focus and momentum for driving change across the whole organisation.

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Birthrights

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Financial review

Summary of income and expenditure

In 2024/25 we secured an overall income of £642,424 compared to £311,737 in 2023/24. Restricted income changed from £50,000 in 2023/24 to £128,183 in 2024/25 and unrestricted income (including designated income) changed from £261,737 in 2023/24 to £514,241 in 2024/25. Of this overall unrestricted figure, the CEOs and Treasurer agreed to designate £84,167 of unrestricted funds for specific purposes, such as staff posts and projects. Total expenditure was £550,128 (compared to £486,338 in 2023/24) which was in line with budget expectations.

At the end of March 24, £135,504 of funds were carried forward, of which £32,692 was restricted funds from grants for planned activity in 2024/25 (due to projects being phased across multiple financial years). At the end of March 2025, £227,800 was carried forward into 2025/26, including £76,942 restricted funds, £84,167 designated funds and £66,691 general funds.

Reserves

At the end of 2024/25, we hold £66,691 in unrestricted reserves. In addition, £84,167 of core funding has been designated by the Trustees but could be reallocated if required.

Our reserves policy states that Birthrights will hold cash reserves to cover three months of operating costs. A three-month reserve would allow Birthrights the opportunity, if necessary, to wind down its programme of support in an orderly and managed fashion, including paying our staff reasonable notice. The Trustees believe this is the appropriate level of reserves to balance prudence and risk management against maximising the benefits the charity can deliver by not tying up too much of our funds in our reserves.

Within the year the trustees took a risk-based approach to our reserves position and enabled Birthrights to briefly operate below the policy threshold in order to maximise on opportunities and strengthen the staff team to provide capacity to build for the future. This analysis considered both the organisation’s and external circumstances, as well as Birthrights’ activities and principal risks.

For 2025/26, three months of operating costs would be £158,925 based on our planned income and expenditure budget.

Going concern

The trustees consider that the charity will continue as a going concern for a period of at least 12 months from the date on which these financial statements are approved for the following reasons:

The trustees therefore consider it appropriate to adopt the going concern basis for the preparation of the accounts, as detailed in note 1(b) to the financial statements. Fundraising will continue to be a major priority for the CEOs and senior team, to ensure sustainability and growth into the future.

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Birthrights

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Statement of responsibilities of the trustees

The trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees' report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102: The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the trustees are to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and the incoming resources and application of resources, including the net income or expenditure, of the charity for the year. In preparing those financial statements the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and which enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the constitution. The trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charity's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

The trustees are members of the charity but this entitles them only to voting rights. The trustees have no beneficial interest in the charity.

Independent examiners

Godfrey Wilson Limited were re-appointed as independent examiners to the charity during the year and have expressed their willingness to continue in that capacity.

Approved by the trustees on 23 September 2025 and signed on their behalf by

Tatheer Fatima

Krystal Lashley-Scrivener - Interim Chair

Tatheer Fatima - Treasurer

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Independent examiner's report

To the trustees of

Birthrights

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Birthrights (the CIO) for the year ended 31 March 2025, which are set out on pages 17 to 30.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the CIO you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the CIO’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

Since the CIO’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), which is one of the listed bodies.

Godfrey Wilson Limited also provides payroll and bookkeeping services to the CIO. I confirm that as a member of the ICAEW I am subject to the FRC’s Revised Ethical Standard 2016, which I have applied with respect to this engagement.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Date: 23 September 2025 Robert Wilson FCA Member of the ICAEW For and on behalf of: Godfrey Wilson Limited Chartered accountants and statutory auditors 5th Floor Mariner House 62 Prince Street Bristol BS1 4QD

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Birthrights

Statement of financial activities

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Note
Income from:
Donations
3
Charitable activities
4
Investments
Total income
Expenditure on:
Raising funds
Charitable activities
Total expenditure
5
6
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
Net income / (expenditure) and net
movement in funds		 Restricted Unrestricted
£
£
128,183
339,765
-
172,582
-
1,894
128,183
514,241
-
65,966
83,933
400,229
83,933
466,195
44,250
48,046
32,692
102,812
76,942
150,858		 2025
2024
Total
Total
£
£
467,948
199,792
172,582
110,260
1,894
1,685
642,424
311,737
65,966
42,620
484,162
443,718
550,128
486,338
92,296
(174,601)
135,504
310,105
227,800
135,504

All of the above results are derived from continuing activities. There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above. Movements in funds are disclosed in note 14 to the accounts.

17

Birthrights

Balance sheet

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Note
Fixed assets
Tangible assets
9
Current assets
Debtors
10
Cash at bank and in hand
Liabilities
Creditors: amounts falling due within 1 year
11
Net current assets
Net assets
13
Funds
14
Restricted funds
Unrestricted funds:
Designated funds
General funds
Total charity funds		 £
33,746
213,928
247,674
(22,906)		 2025
£
3,032
224,768
227,800
76,942
84,167
66,691
227,800		 2024
£
-
99,841
143,479
243,320
(107,816)
135,504
135,504
32,692
80,103
22,709
135,504

Approved by the trustees on 23 September 2025 and signed on their behalf by

Tatheer Fatima

Krystal Lashley-Scrivener - Interim Chair

Tatheer Fatima - Treasurer

18

Birthrights

Statement of cash flows

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Cash used in operating activities:
Net movement in funds
Adjustments for:
Depreciation charges
Decrease / (increase) in debtors
Increase / (decrease) in creditors
Net cash provided by / (used in) operating activities
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of tangible fixed assets
Net cash provided by / (used in) investing activities
Increase / (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents in the year
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year		 2025
£
92,296
1,166
66,095
(84,910)
74,647
(4,198)
(4,198)
70,449
143,479
213,928		 2024
£
(174,601)
-
(26,696)
28,628
(172,669)
-
-
(172,669)
316,148
143,479

The charity has not provided an analysis of changes in net debt as it does not have any long term financing arrangements.

19

Birthrights

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

1. Accounting policies

a) Basis of preparation

Birthrights Charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered in England and Wales. The registered office address is Union House, 111 New Union Street, Coventry, CV1 2NT.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities in preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).

Birthrights meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy notes.

b) Going concern basis of accounting

The accounts have been prepared on the assumption that the charity is able to continue as a going concern, which the trustees consider to be appropriate having regard to the current level of unrestricted reserves and future confirmed funding. There are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.

c) Income

Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the item of income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Income from the government and other grants, whether 'capital' grants or 'revenue' grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred.

Income received under contracts, sponsorship agreements or in advance of provision of training is deferred and recognised when services are delivered.

d) Donated services and facilities

Donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised as income when the charity has control over the item, any conditions associated with the donated item have been met, the receipt of economic benefit from the use by the charity of the item, is probable and the economic benefit can be measured reliably. In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102), general volunteer time is not recognised.

On receipt, donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised on the basis of the value of the gift to the charity which is the amount the charity would have been willing to pay to obtain services or facilities of equivalent economic benefit on the open market; a corresponding amount is then recognised in expenditure in the period of receipt.

e) Interest receivable

Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity: this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank.

20

Birthrights

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

1. Accounting policies (continued)

f) Funds accounting

Unrestricted funds are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of the charity. Designated funds are unrestricted funds of the charity which the trustees have decided at their discretion to set aside to use for a specific purpose. Restricted funds are donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particular areas of the charity's work or for specific projects being undertaken by the charity.

g) Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT

Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost against the activity for which the expenditure was incurred.

h) Allocation of support and governance costs

Support costs are those functions that assist the work of the charity but do not directly undertake charitable activities. Governance costs are associated with constitutional and statutory requirements. These costs have been allocated between cost of raising funds and expenditure on charitable activities on the basis of staff time:

haritable activities on the basis of staff time:
2025 2024
Raising funds 14% 11%
Charitable activities 86% 89%

i) Tangible fixed assets

Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write down the cost of each asset to its estimated residual value over its expected useful life. The depreciation rates in use are as follows:

Computer equipment 3 years

Items of equipment are capitalised where the purchase price exceeds £1,000.

j) Debtors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.

k) Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.

l) Creditors

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.

21

Birthrights

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

1. Accounting policies (continued)

m) Financial instruments

The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently recognised at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

n) Pension costs

The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme for its employees. There are no further liabilities other than that already recognised in the SOFA.

o) Accounting estimates and key judgements

In the application of the charity's accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and underlying assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both current and future periods.

The key sources of estimation uncertainty that have a significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements are the depreciation rates as described in note 1i.

2. Prior period comparatives

Income from:
Donations
Charitable activities
Investments
Total income
Expenditure on:
Raising funds
Charitable activities
Total expenditure
Net income / (expenditure) and net
movement in funds		 Restricted
£
50,000
-
-
50,000
-
107,018
107,018
42,410		 £
149,792
110,260
1,685
261,737
42,620
336,700
379,320
(117,583)
Unrestricted		 2024
Total
£
199,792
110,260
1,685
311,737
42,620
443,718
486,338
(174,601)

22

Birthrights

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

3. Income from donations

Donations
Grants > £5,000
Baring Foundation
Esmée Fairbairn
John Ellerman
Joseph Rowntree
Legal Education Foundation
Sigrid Rausing
The Owl Trust
Other
Gifts in kind
Total income from donations
Prior year comparative
Donations
Grants > £5,000
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust
The Owl Trust
Gifts in kind
Total income from donations		 Restricted
£
-
50,000
7,060
-
71,123
-
-
-
-
-
128,183
Restricted
£
-
-
50,000
-
-
50,000		 £
31,280
-
83,600
46,000
-
55,000
10,000
100,000
10,000
3,885
339,765
£
23,817
75,000
-
50,000
975
149,792
Unrestricted
Unrestricted		 2025
Total
£
31,280
50,000
90,660
46,000
71,123
55,000
10,000
100,000
10,000
3,885
467,948
2024
Total
£
23,817
75,000
50,000
50,000
975
199,792

*Gifts in kind relate to pro bono legal advice, training, stationery, printed materials and room hire.

The charity received no government grants in the current or prior year.

23

Birthrights

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

4. Income from charitable activities

Income from charitable activities
Training, conferences and events
Other
Total income from charitable activities		 2025
Total
£
172,582
-
172,582		 2024
Total
£
110,010
250
110,260

All income from charitable activities in the current and prior year was unrestricted.

5. Total expenditure

Staff costs (note 7)
Legal and professional fees
Marketing and communications
Room hire
Accountancy
Staff recruitment and training
IT equipment and software
Travel and subsistence
Office costs
Insurance
Sub-total
Total expenditure
Depreciation
Allocation of support and
governance costs		 £
50,962
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
50,962
15,004
65,966
Raising
funds		 £
317,341
37,783
1,121
3,069
-
-
17,391
12,863
-
-
1,166
390,734
93,428
484,162
Charitable
activities		 £
69,628
-
-
-
28,566
5,941
-
610
3,099
588
-
108,432
(108,432)
-
Support
and
governance		 2025
Total
£
437,931
37,783
1,121
3,069
28,566
5,941
17,391
13,473
3,099
588
1,166
550,128
-
550,128

Total governance costs were £2,397 (2024: £2,100). The prior year figure has been restated to more accurately reflect the total governance costs in the year.

24

Birthrights

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

5.
Total expenditure (continued)
Prior year comparative
Staff costs (note 7)
Research participation
Legal and professional fees
Marketing and communications
Room hire
Accountancy
Staff recruitment and training
IT equipment and software
Travel and subsistence
Office costs
Insurance
Sub-total
Total expenditure
Allocation of support and
governance costs		 £
31,886
-
-
-
-
-
-
78
-
-
-
31,964
10,656
42,620
Raising
funds		 £
267,479
750
50,752
1,567
4,155
-
-
12,241
13,809
3,578
-
354,331
89,387
443,718
Charitable
activities		 £
59,506
-
-
-
-
9,333
26,221
-
-
3,978
1,005
100,043
(100,043)
-
Support
and
governance		 2024
Total
£
358,871
750
50,752
1,567
4,155
9,333
26,221
12,319
13,809
7,556
1,005
486,338
-
486,338

6. Net movement in funds This is stated after charging:

Net movement in funds
This is stated after charging:
2025 2024
£ £
Depreciation 1,166 -
Trustees' remuneration Nil Nil
Trustees' reimbursed travel expenses 57 Nil
Independent examiners' remuneration:
▪Independent examination (including VAT) 2,340 2,100
▪Other services - 7,233

25

Birthrights

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

7. Staff costs and numbers

Staff costs were as follows:

Salaries and wages
Social security costs
Pension costs
Freelancers		 2025
2024
£
£
372,307
299,342
27,799
20,190
8,400
6,284
29,425
33,055
437,931
358,871

No employee earned more than £60,000 during the year.

The key management personnel of the charity comprise the Trustees, Chief Executive Officers and Engagement Director. The total employee benefits of the key management personnel were £102,859 (2024: £117,208).

Average head count 2025
No.
16		 2024
No.
12

8. Taxation The charity is exempt from corporation tax as all its income is charitable and is applied for charitable purposes.

Tangible fixed assets
Cost
At 1 April 2024
Additions in year
Disposals
At 31 March 2025
Depreciation
At 1 April 2024
Charge for the year
On disposals
At 31 March 2025
Net book value
At 31 March 2025
At 31 March 2024		 £
-
4,198
-
4,198
-
1,166
-
1,166
3,032
-
Computer
Equipment		 Total
£
-
4,198
-
4,198
-
1,166
-
1,166
3,032
-

9. Tangible fixed assets

26

Birthrights

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

10. Debtors
Trade debtors
Prepayments
11. Creditors: amounts due within 1 year
Trade creditors
Accruals
Deferred income (note 12)
Other creditors
12. Deferred income
At 1 April 2024
Deferred during the year
Released during the year
At 31 March 2025		 2025
£
29,450
4,296
33,746
2025
£
4,364
2,270
12,000
4,272
22,906
2025
£
99,310
12,000
(99,310)
12,000		 2024
£
95,965
3,876
99,841
2024
£
2,989
5,517
99,310
-
107,816
2024
£
70,995
99,310
(70,995)
99,310

Deferred income relates to training invoiced in advance to be delivered during 2023/24.

13. Analysis of net assets between funds

Tangible fixed assets
Current assets
Current liabilities
Net assets at 31 March 2025
Prior year comparative
Current assets
Current liabilities
Net assets at 31 March 2024		 Restricted
funds
£
-
76,942
-
76,942
Restricted
funds
£
32,692
-
32,692		 £
-
84,167
-
84,167
Designated
funds
£
80,103
-
80,103
Designated
funds		 £
3,032
86,565
(22,906)
66,691
General
funds
£
130,525
(107,816)
22,709
General
funds		 Total
funds
£
3,032
247,674
(22,906)
227,800
Total
funds
£
243,320
(107,816)
135,504

27

Birthrights

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

14. Movements in funds

At 1 April
2024
£
Restricted funds
John Ellerman Foundation
7,222
The Baring Foundation
-
Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust
25,470
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
-
Total restricted funds
32,692
Unrestricted funds
Designated funds
Esmée Fairbairn, 2021 - 2025
31,276
Leigh Day Inquiry
5,000
Thirty Percy Foundation
43,827
The Legal Education Foundation
-
Total designated funds
80,103
General funds
22,709
Total unrestricted funds
102,812
Total funds
135,504		 At 1 April
2024
£
Restricted funds
John Ellerman Foundation
7,222
The Baring Foundation
-
Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust
25,470
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
-
Total restricted funds
32,692
Unrestricted funds
Designated funds
Esmée Fairbairn, 2021 - 2025
31,276
Leigh Day Inquiry
5,000
Thirty Percy Foundation
43,827
The Legal Education Foundation
-
Total designated funds
80,103
General funds
22,709
Total unrestricted funds
102,812
Total funds
135,504		 Income
£
-
50,000
71,123
7,060		 £
(515)
(20,000)
(63,418)
-
Expenditure		 At 31
March
2025
£
£
-
6,707
-
30,000
-
33,175
-
7,060
-
76,942
-
37,500
(5,000)
-
-
-
-
46,667
(5,000)
84,167
5,000
66,691
-
150,858
-
227,800
Transfers
between
funds		 At 31
March
2025
£
£
-
6,707
-
30,000
-
33,175
-
7,060
-
76,942
-
37,500
(5,000)
-
-
-
-
46,667
(5,000)
84,167
5,000
66,691
-
150,858
-
227,800
Transfers
between
funds
32,692 128,183 (83,933) 76,942
31,276
5,000
43,827
-		 83,600
-
-
55,000		 (77,376)
-
(43,827)
(8,333)		 37,500
-
-
46,667
80,103 138,600 (129,536) 84,167
22,709 375,641 (336,659) 66,691
102,812 514,241 (466,195) 150,858
135,504 642,424 (550,128) 227,800

Purposes of restricted funds

John Ellerman Foundation

Two year grant for Birthrights to convene a national inquiry into racial injustice in maternity care, towards delivery and staff costs, including a new post to ensure the inquiry is co produced by Black, Brown and mixed ethnicity women and birthing people.

Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust

Restricted grant towards our work to centre anti-racism in all we do, including through enhanced training with JMB and contribution to staffing costs.

The Baring Foundation

Restricted grant to scale work centering community voice and power through training with civil society organisations, open-sourcing our legal knowledge, a strategic approach to legal action, and campaigning for legislative change.

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

Funding received from Esmee Fairbairn’s ‘Funding Plus’ grant scheme to support the development of a multi-year fundraising strategy, aiming to increase the organisation’s sustainability and stability.

28

Birthrights

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

14. Movements in funds (continued) Purpose of designated funds Esmée Fairbairn Foundation 2021 - 2025

Funding over four years towards unrestricted core costs to protect human rights in maternity care through advice, training and influencing.

Leigh Day Inquiry

Unrestricted corporate donation designated for events, communications and consultancy costs.

Thirty Percy Foundation

Three year unrestricted grant designated for staff and operational costs, including a new senior post to lead and develop our communications and engagement work, to reach and support more women and birthing people with a diverse range of needs and experiences.

The Legal Education Foundation

Unrestricted core funding towards supporting Birthrights deliver against its 10-year strategic framework and influence systemic change in legislation, policy and practice.

Transfers between funds

Birthrights completed the Leigh Day Inquiry, the remaining funds were transferred from designated to unrestricted funds.

Prior year comparative

Restricted funds
John Ellerman Foundation
Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust
The Hospital Saturday Fund
Total restricted funds
Unrestricted funds
Designated funds
Esmée Fairbairn, 2021 - 2025
Leigh Day Inquiry
Thirty Percy Foundation
Total designated funds
General funds
Total unrestricted funds
Total funds		 At 1 April
2023
£
50,479
37,231
2,000		 Income
£
-
50,000
-		 £
£
(43,257)
7,222
(61,761)
25,470
(2,000)
-
(107,018)
32,692
(91,556)
31,276
-
5,000
(43,998)
43,827
(135,554)
80,103
(243,766)
22,709
(379,320)
102,812
(486,338)
135,504
At 31 March
2024
Expenditure		 £
£
(43,257)
7,222
(61,761)
25,470
(2,000)
-
(107,018)
32,692
(91,556)
31,276
-
5,000
(43,998)
43,827
(135,554)
80,103
(243,766)
22,709
(379,320)
102,812
(486,338)
135,504
At 31 March
2024
Expenditure
89,710 50,000 32,692
97,832
-
87,825		 25,000
5,000
-		 31,276
5,000
43,827
185,657 30,000 80,103
34,738 231,737 22,709
220,395 261,737 102,812
310,105 311,737 135,504

29

Birthrights

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

15. Related party transactions

There were no related party transactions in the current year or prior year.

30