Group B Strep Support works closely with other charities and organisations to improve group B Strep care and prevention in the UK. We’ve shared the voices of parents across the UK through forums and collaborative initiatives focused on improving safety in maternity and neonatal services.
The Baby Loss Awareness Alliance (BLAW) is a collective of more than 100 organisations working together to raise awareness of pregnancy and baby loss, support bereaved families, and drive change in policy and practice. The Alliance is best known for coordinating Baby Loss Awareness Week (BLAW), which takes place every year from 9–15 October.
We have been a proud member of the Alliance for many years. While our core focus is on preventing group B Strep infections in babies, we know that sadly, some babies do die as a result of GBS. Being part of the Alliance allows us to stand alongside other charities and families to remember those babies, raise awareness, and push for better care and support.
Each year, we take part in Baby Loss Awareness Week by sharing stories from families affected by group B Strep, highlighting the importance of prevention, and supporting the campaign’s themes and calls to action. We also encourage our supporters to join the global Wave of Light on 15 October, lighting candles in memory of babies who died too soon.
As an Alliance member, we attend meetings, share ideas, and help shape the direction of the campaign.
You can learn more about Baby Loss Awareness Week and the Alliance at https://babyloss-awareness.org.
The Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (CoMO) is a global network of individuals and groups working to defeat meningitis. Many of its members have personal experience of the disease – whether through loss, survival, or caring for someone affected – and they bring that passion to their advocacy, education, and support work.
We have been a proud member of CoMO since 2016. We joined because we share CoMO’s belief that no one should suffer from a disease that can be prevented, treated, or better supported. Being part of this international community helps us amplify the voices of families affected by group B Strep – including group B Strep meningitis – and ensures that GBS is recognised as part of the wider meningitis conversation.
Our Chief Executive, , currently serves as Acting Chair of the Advisory Council, and one of the European Representatives. Through this role, Jane helps shape CoMO’s direction and ensures that the lived experiences of families affected by GBS are heard at the highest levels.
We’ve worked closely with CoMO on a number of initiatives, including contributing to their response to the WHO’s investment case for defeating meningitis by 2030. We also helped gather community perspectives for CoMO’s consultation on the introduction of a group B Strep vaccine, highlighting the importance of education, antenatal care, and culturally sensitive engagement.
Each year, we support World Meningitis Day by sharing stories of families affected by GBS meningitis and amplifying CoMO’s messages. These moments of global solidarity are a powerful reminder that while our work is rooted in the UK, our mission is shared by many around the world.
You can find out more about CoMO at www.comomeningitis.org.
The Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA) is an international non-profit organisation committed to raising awareness of sepsis worldwide and reducing the number of lives lost to this often preventable condition. Sepsis is a life-threatening response to infection, and group B Strep is a leading cause of sepsis in newborn babies.
We have been a proud member of the GSA since 2017. Our partnership reflects a shared mission: to prevent avoidable infections and improve outcomes for those affected. By working together, we help ensure that group B Strep is recognised as a key contributor to neonatal and maternal sepsis, and that it remains part of the global conversation on infection prevention and patient safety.
We regularly support GSA-led initiatives, including World Sepsis Day each September. These campaigns give us the opportunity to share stories from families affected by GBS-related sepsis and to raise awareness of how simple steps — like better screening and timely treatment — can save lives.
In 2025, we endorsed the 5th World Sepsis Congress, a free online event hosted by the GSA that brought together over 90 global experts to discuss innovations in sepsis research, diagnosis, and care. In return, we invited the GSA to support our own annual conference, strengthening the ties between our organisations and amplifying our shared messages.
We’re also actively involved in the GSA’s governance. As a member organisation, GBSS participates in the GSA’s Member General Meeting and Board Elections, helping shape the future direction of this vital alliance.
You can learn more about the Global Sepsis Alliance at www.globalsepsisalliance.org.
The Maternity Consortium is a national collaboration of voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations working to improve maternity and neonatal care across the UK. Co-led by Sands and Tommy’s, the Consortium is part of the government’s Health and Wellbeing Alliance and brings together a wide range of voices to tackle inequalities and improve outcomes for all families.
We have been an active member of the Maternity Consortium since its early days. Our involvement ensures that the experiences of families affected by group B Strep are part of national conversations about maternity safety, equity, and service improvement.
The Consortium’s work is wide-ranging. Recent projects have included:
- Supporting the implementation of Local Maternity and Neonatal Systems’ (LMNSs) equity and equality plans.
- Co-producing resources with young parents to support safer sleep for babies, led by The Lullaby Trust.
- Exploring the links between suicide during the perinatal period, domestic abuse, substance use and trauma.
- Investigating the provision of interpreting services in maternity and neonatal care, to help ensure that language is never a barrier to safe, respectful care
We contribute to these projects by sharing insights from the families we support, helping shape resources, and feeding into policy discussions. We regularly attend Consortium meetings and help ensure that group B Strep is recognised as a key issue in maternity safety.
We support the Consortium’s wider aims, such as promoting lived experience in policy-making and strengthening collaboration between the voluntary sector and NHS England, because we believe that real change happens when families and professionals work together.
You can learn more about the Maternity Consortium through the Sands and Tommy’s Joint Policy Unit at jointpolicyunit.org.uk.
MBRRACE-UK (Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries) is a national programme that investigates maternal and perinatal deaths across the UK. It plays a vital role in identifying where improvements can be made in maternity and neonatal care, and in sharing those lessons widely.
We are proud to be part of MBRRACE-UK’s Third Sector stakeholder group, which brings together organisations representing parents and families. Through this group, we help shape the programme’s priorities, contribute to its reports, and ensure that the voices of families affected by group B Strep are heard loud and clear.
We have contributed to several MBRRACE-UK reports, including those focused on perinatal mortality. We support MBRRACE-UK’s work by helping to promote its findings and events. For example, we regularly share details of their virtual conferences with our networks and encourage attendance from health professionals and families alike. These events are a powerful way to spread awareness and drive change.
In 2017, MBRRACE-UK reported group B Strep was the most commonly identified cause of stillbirth and neonatal death in the UK. This evidence has helped us advocate more effectively for change — whether that’s better testing, clearer guidelines or investment in a maternal GBS vaccine.
You can learn more about MBRRACE-UK at www.npeu.ox.ac.uk/mbrrace-uk.
The National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) collects and analyses data on the deaths of all children in England under the age of 18. Its aim is to learn from every child death to improve services, reduce preventable deaths, and support better outcomes for children and families.
We have worked with the NCMD to ensure that the impact of group B Strep (GBS) is recognised in national child mortality data and that learning from these deaths informs policy and practice. We contribute to NCMD consultations, share insights from families, and help raise awareness of the importance of perinatal infection prevention.
We have supported the NCMD’s thematic reports, including those on newborn health and infection-related deaths. These reports have highlighted the significant role that perinatal infections, including group B Strep infections, play in child mortality, particularly in the first year of life. They have also drawn attention to modifiable factors such as missed opportunities for early intervention, gaps in service provision, and the need for better training and communication.
We share NCMD findings with our networks and encourage professionals and policymakers to act on the recommendations.
By working with the NCMD, GBSS helps ensure that every baby’s death is counted, every family’s experience is valued, and every opportunity to prevent future deaths is taken.
You can learn more about the NCMD and read their reports at https://www.ncmd.info.
Pregnancy & Baby Charities Network (PBCN)
The Pregnancy & Baby Charities Network (PBCN) is a collaborative network of UK charities committed to improving outcomes and reducing inequalities for new and expectant parents and their babies. It brings together organisations that work across the pregnancy and early parenthood journey—from conception through birth, baby loss, and long-term health complications.
We are proud to be a founding member of the PBCN and play an active role in its leadership and advocacy. Currently the PBCN is chaired by Marcus Green, CEO of Action on Pre-Eclampsia (APEC), with Jane Plumb, Chief Executive of GBSS, serving as Chair.
The PBCN exists to:
- Reduce infant mortality and morbidity by influencing policy, practice, and public awareness.
- Improve care throughout the journey to parenthood, including during pregnancy, birth, and the postnatal period.
- Tackle inequalities in maternity and neonatal outcomes, especially for marginalised and underserved communities.
- Amplify the collective voice of charities working in this space, ensuring that decision-makers hear from those with lived experience and frontline expertise.
- The network meets regularly to share learning, coordinate campaigns, and advocate for systemic change. It is a space for collaboration, mutual support, and strategic influence.
GBSS’s involvement ensures that the risks of group B Strep and the importance of prevention are included in national conversations about maternity and neonatal care.
Shared goals include:
- Making the UK the safest place in the world to have a baby, regardless of ethnicity, income, or circumstance.
- Giving all sick and premature babies the best chance of survival and quality of life.
- Ensuring that families receive the care and support they need, when they need it
