Our campaigning

How we have made a difference at Brilliant Beginnings and NGA Law

Rescuing surrogate babies during the Ukraine war (2022)

The NGA Law team worked with the UK government to develop emergency measures for surrogacy when the war broke out, and then supported all the UK parents with babies due, applying for special visas for pregnant surrogates and ultimately rescuing every on of the 46 British babies born to safety.

Forging solutions during the COVID pandemic (2020)

We worked with the UK government to develop an emergency passport process for stranded surrogate babies during COVID. We also persuaded the HFEA to update its guidance to allow intended parents who could not travel overseas to export their eggs, sperm and embryos for surrogacy.

Ending discrimination against single parents (2019)

NGA Law won a High Court declaration that surrogacy law was breaching the human rights of single parents, subsequently getting the UK’s first parental order for a single dad. The case prompted a 2019 legislation change to include single parents in UK surrogacy law.

Co-authoring the first UK government guidance on surrogacy (2018)

Brilliant Beginnings helped author the UK’s first ever government guidance on surrogacy.

Making UK passport applications inclusive (2016)

We worked with the Passport Office to re-write the guidance that goes with every UK passport application to ensure that it properly included children born through donation and surrogacy and to LGBTQ+ parents.

Maternity leave rights for parents through surrogacy (2015)

We ran a campaign from 2008 to 2015 (via media coverage, work with MPs and lobbying with charities) to win a special form of adoption leave for parents trhough surrogacy, equivalent to full maternity/paternity leave.

Parliamentary debate on surrogacy law reform (2014)

We worked with Jessica Lee MP on the first Parliamentary debate about surrogacy since the 1980s, prompting the creation of the cross-governmental working group on surrogacy.

British nationality for surrogate children (2010)

We successfully persuaded the Department of Health to change the law to enable children born through international surrogacy to become British automatically on the grant of a parental order.

Embryo storage for surrogacy (2009)

Through a media and lobbying campaign, we persuaded the government to change the law on embryo storage, enabling parents through surrogacy to store their embryos for as long as parents conceiving without a surrogate.

Legal recognition for same-sex parents (2008)

Our founder Natalie Gamble was a leading LGBTQ+ champion in the 2008 fight for same-sex parents to be recognised as legal parents. She was nominated by Stonewall for their Hero of the Year award and invited to meet the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street.