Campaigning

At Brilliant Beginnings, we believe:

Surrogates deserve exceptional support

Families thrive with love and honesty, no matter what their structure or how they were made

The law should recognise and support ethical surrogacy

Positive changes we have won through Brilliant Beginnings and our sibling organisation NGA Law

Giving HIV+ parents access to UK surrogacy (2023)

Natalie first brought the unfairness of UK fertility regulations to the attention of the British HIV Association and National AIDS Trust in 2017. We subsequently supported the successful NAT campaign which led to the 2023 government announcement of plans to change the law.

Rescuing surrogate babies during the Ukraine war (2022)

The NGA Law team volunteered to support the whole group of UK parents with babies due through surrogacy when the war broke out, winning government support, special visas for pregnant surrogates and helping to bring home all 46 British babies safely .

International surrogacy during a pandemic (2020)

We persuaded the UK government to create a new emergency passport process for stranded surrogate babies. 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.

Single parents through surrogacy (2019)

NGA Law won a High Court battle to end discrimination against single parents, enabling them to be granted parental orders.

Government guidance on surrogacy (2018)

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

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.

Maternity leave rights for parents through surrogacy (2014)

Following a five year campaign we won adoption leave and pay for parents through surrogacy, equivalent to full maternity/paternity leave.

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 LGBT+ 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.