The Brilliant Beginnings team

Natalie Gamble

Driven, passionate and approachable, Natalie is widely known as the UK’s leading fertility lawyer. With her gentle tenacity, she has been pivotal in much of the change in UK surrogacy law over the last 15 years and has helped to shape it through her numerous published legal cases and lobbying work. She has also contributed to the Law Commission’s review of the UK legal framework.

Natalie is a regular voice on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme and Woman’s Hour and has been quoted in Parliament, ranked in the Independent’s Pink List, invited to meet the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street and nominated for Stonewall’s Hero of the Year Award. She is a former trustee of Fertility Network UK, and speaks regularly at national and international events.

She has two donor-conceived children as a same-sex parent, and has been an altruistic egg donor.

Tracey Sims

Tracey came to Brilliant Beginnings in 2015 as a surrogate, having previously been an egg donor too, and she gave birth to a surrogate baby in 2018.  With four daughters of her own, she felt lucky to be a parent and it meant so much to her to help another couple experience parenthood, something she feels is ‘the most rewarding thing I have ever done’.

Having experienced first-hand how the team supported surrogates and managed each part of their journey, she wanted to be part of helping others too.  Tracey is an advocate for the unique way Brilliant Beginnings matches intended parents and surrogates, feeling that the detail and time spent over this fundamental step of the journey is invaluable and that the ongoing relationship she has with her intended parents is testimony to the fact it works.

As one of our surrogate managers, Tracey guides and supports new surrogates as well as raising awareness of surrogacy. Calm and clear, she provides invaluable reassurance to women at all stages of their journey. She loves talking about surrogacy in general and answering any questions, whether on a call, in conversation or when speaking at events.

Particular areas of interest and expertise:

• Supporting and caring for surrogates throughout application, screening and match
• Special interests in colostrum harvesting, expressing milk for surrogate babies and making birth better
• Personal experience as a Brilliant Beginnings surrogate, and previously as an egg donor

Tracey’s blogs:

• Getting to know BB: Tracey.
• Surrogate explains colostrum harvesting and expressing milk.

Teresa Coote

Teresa joined the team in June 2020 after her own surrogacy journey with Brilliant Beginnings. She gave birth to healthy twins in 2018 and, after a complicated delivery, found the support she received from the team (who she says ‘always had my corner’) hugely valuable.  She became passionate about offering the same to other women.

As one of our surrogate managers, Teresa now supports women becoming surrogates. With a calm nature and strong sense of practicality, she helps them to understand what surrogacy is like and whether it is right for them, as well as guiding them through what they need to consider and put in place so we can make the right match for them.

Since joining the team, Teresa has worked hard to train as a birth doula, after recognising the important role her own doula will play in her second surrogacy delivery. She has recently graduated from her training and is now focusing on providing support to our surrogates and intended parents as a mentored doula, while also building a network (or cuddle) of doulas that can support our teams across the UK.

Prior to working with us, Teresa was a teacher of Business Studies at a further education college.  She has two daughters with her long-time partner and is currently matched with another couple on a second surrogacy journey.

Particular areas of interest and expertise:

• Inspiring surrogates to come forward (including via digital marketing and multimedia platforms)
• Doula services and supporting surrogates in positive birth experiences
• Personal experience as a surrogate through Brilliant Beginnings (twice!)

Teresa’s blogs:

• Getting to know BB: Teresa.
• New data shows 350% growth in UK and international surrogacy.

Stephen Ashe

Level-headed, methodical and down to earth, Stephen has a varied background in management and as a police detective. His warmth and generosity in enabling others to achieve their dreams of having children stems from his own surrogacy journey.

Stephen offers support and guidance from start to finish, and ensures that relationships with intended parents, surrogates and their professional partners flourish effectively. He believes passionately in helping to drive surrogacy law reform in the UK.

Stephen has two children through surrogacy in the UK.

Particular areas of interest and expertise:

• 4 years’ experience as a client manager at Brilliant Beginnings
• Specialist expertise in UK surrogacy, US surrogacy and Canadian surrogacy, with extensive clinical and professional contacts
• Strategic and options advice
• Personal experience of creating a family through UK surrogacy/egg donation, and raising two children in a modern family
• Expert salted caramel brownie baker

Stephen’s blogs:

• Getting to know BB: Stephen.

Gemma Hart-Dyke

Outgoing and organised, Gemma’s focus is on ensuring that every surrogacy journey is stable from start to finish. Her unending patience and thoughtfulness ensures that intended parents and surrogates (and the professionals working with them) are guided smoothly and sensitively.

Gemma’s background in legal marketing, project management and professional client service shines through in all she does. She offers bright optimism to surrogates and intended parents and offers new surrogates guidance and a sensible grounding.

Gemma has one young child and another on the way.

Esther Ezquerro

Empathetic and positive, Esther ensures the teams she supports have a smooth surrogacy experience, whatever their situation. She is always a step ahead to help navigate the myriad of choices available and goes the extra mile to ensure that the best choices are to hand.

Esther’s background in a family law team, at an adoption and fostering agency and as a volunteer at Refugee Action and Citizen’s advice give her the drive and tenacity to help create families. Her zest and professionalism ensure that her teams feel secure and actively supported.

Esther is mum to one young child.

Particular areas of interest and expertise:

• More than 3 years’ experience as a client manager at Brilliant Beginnings
• Specialist expertise in UK surrogacy, US surrogacy and Canadian surrogacy
• Particular interest in providing emotional support
• Personal experience of alternative family building through friends and family
• Fluent in several languages

Get to know Esther more

Laura Clarke

Laura’s warmth and kindness have shone through her career as an NHS nurse for over 15 years and now as a client manager with Brilliant Beginnings.  She has a degree in Public Health, has successfully carried four children as a surrogate across three surrogacy journeys, the last with Brilliant Beginnings.  With her combination of surrogacy and medical experience, she adds empathy, practicality and understanding to any journey.  She has two beautiful children of her own and believes passionately in making surrogacy easier.

Particular areas of interest and expertise:

• Specialist expertise as a client manager supporting UK surrogacy, US surrogacy and Canadian surrogacy
• Registered nurse and our in-house clinical lead
• Personal experience of being a UK surrogate through three journeys, the last as a Brilliant Beginnings surrogate

Laura’s blogs:

• Getting to know BB: Laura
• Surrogacy in a pandemic: My storyof giving birth during COVID-19

Kirstie Porter-Smith

Kirstie is our Operations Manager.  She runs both our offices, supports our HR function and provides invaluable support to the whole Brilliant Beginnings and NGA Law team as well as our clients

Often the first point of contact for clients and new enquiries, she is warm, understanding and personable. Having been part of the team since 2014, Kirstie is extremely knowledgeable about all areas of our work, and is also exceptionally well-organised with a keen eye for detail. 

Rebecca Albrow

Becky is an intrinsic part of the daily running of our office, with particular focus on supporting our finances.  Always positive and keen to assist, Becky has a Zoology degree and a meticulous approach to detail. She volunteers with the RSPB and her effortless kindness is often called upon. As a team member who answers initial calls, Becky is a font of knowledge, as well as being relied on for her sensitive and calm nature.

Kelly Blaxall

Approachable, positive and straightforward, Kelly is a Legal Manager for Brilliant Beginnings intended parents.  She is a paralegal with NGA Law and an Associate member of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (ACILEx), working toward qualifying as a chartered legal executive lawyer.

She advises Brilliant Beginnings clients in legal reviews, provides ongoing support and advice and conducts our day-to-day legal representation in parental order applications after both  UK and international surrogacy.  She also has a particular interest in managing British nationality and passport applications for children born through surrogacy.

Kelly has a degree in Psychology and has worked with vulnerable children in a children’s home, so has a varied background of experience.  She joined the NGA Law team in 2017 and cares passionately about surrogacy, non-traditional families and providing exceptional client service.

Kelly’s blogs:

• Getting to know BB: Kelly.

Heidi Burrows

Compassionate and caring with a lively sense of humour, Heidi is one of the Legal Managers for Brilliant Beginnings intended parentse. She is a paralegal who joined the NGA Law team in 2019.

She advises Brilliant Beginnings clients in legal reviews, provides ongoing legal support, and conducts our day-to-day legal representation in parental order applications after both UK and international surrogacy, as well as managing British nationality and passport applications for children born through surrogacy.

Heidi has an Advanced Masters degree in International Children’s Rights from Leiden University in the Netherlands, and is fluent in Spanish.

Heidi’s blogs:

• Getting to know BB: Heidi

Jerome Tierney

Jerome is a registered clinical psychologist with a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Royal Holloway, University of London.  He seeks to understand why we do the things we do, with the aim of helping others live meaningful and rewarding lives.  His warm and understanding nature immediately puts people at ease.

Jerome plays an invaluable role in minimising the risk of any psychological distress as a result of a surrogacy journey. His psychological assessments and recommendations help us make sure all our Brilliant Surrogates are safe and fully supported, so they have a rewarding and life-enriching experience.

Jerome’s experience is in both private practice and the NHS and he has particular interests in perinatal mental health, surrogacy, the interaction of physical and mental health, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME), and sexual health. His expertise lies in particular in working with those struggling with depression and anxiety-related problems.

Ruth Wilde

Ruth is a fertility counsellor with over 18 years’ experience of supporting people affected by fertility issues. Having worked at various leading fertility clinics, Ruth now provides private counselling services.  She is a current board member of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, having been appointed to serve for a second term at the beginning of 2019.  She has been awarded Honorary Membership of both the British Infertility Counselling Association and the British Fertility Society for her services to each organisation and to the wider fertility community.

Ruth works with our surrogates, providing confidential surrogacy preparation counselling as part of our screening and preparation process, as well as being on hand to offer confidential emotional support to any of our clients and surrogates who need it at any stage of the surrogacy journey.

Vicky Parkin

Vicky is a very experienced specialist fertility counsellor, she has worked for various fertility clinics around the country and privately since 2005. She is an accredited member of BICA (British Infertility Counselling Association) and is also on the BICA executive committee. Vicky realises when you are considering surrogacy time is often of the essence and with this in mind she offers Skype and telephone sessions making counselling much more accessible, flexible and aims to fit round you and your family. Vicky offers early morning and evening sessions to try and accommodate you as much as possible.

We are pleased to have Vicky as part of our team, to work with our surrogates as part of our screening a preparation process and beyond.

Nicola Scott

Nicola Scott is a solicitor who specialises in fertility law at a law firm separate from our team.  Her passion for creating families through surrogacy began during her law degree in 2004, after which she became the first solicitor to train in a specialist fertility law firm.  She has since dedicated her career to surrogacy and non-traditional family building.

She gives independent legal advice to Brilliant Beginnings surrogates, and helps with preparing their wills.

Nicky Reid

Nicky joined the team in May 2021, after becoming a surrogate with Brilliant Beginnings, as a Case Manager. She became interested in surrogacy after looking into egg donation and has now been matched with intended parents.

In her role as a Case Manager, Nicky is key to supporting the intended parents and surrogates who are on a surrogacy journey with Brilliant Beginnings. Nicky will carefully look at the right match before making this a reality for intended parents and surrogates. Once matched she guides, and holds the hands of her surrogacy teams through the initial stages of getting to know each other and bringing together their agreement, all the way to the birth of baby. Nicky works proactively with her teams, and their clinic and hospital, to work through next steps, and help them navigate any hurdles they encounter along the way.

Before joining Brilliant Beginnings, Nicky worked at a large bingo company for many years, and in 2020 joined children’s books publisher, Usborne, as an Independent Usborne Organiser to get more books to children. She has three children of her own.

Particular areas of interest and expertise:

• Attention to detail through previous career as an Auditor
• Personal experience of the surrogate process through being on her own BB surrogate journey
• Loves producing Diamond Art pictures!

Alyssa Martin

Alyssa, also known as Lyssa, joined the team in summer 2021. After a first surrogacy journey in California where she delivered twins (naturally!), she moved to the UK in 2015. A bit muddled about the very different laws surrounding surrogacy in the UK, Alyssa sought out guidance from the Brilliant Beginnings team and was subsequently matched with a UK couple for whom she delivered a singleton in 2020. It may well make Alyssa the first woman to have given birth as a surrogate on two separate continents!

Knowing first-hand the pros and cons of surrogacy in both the US and UK, Alyssa now supports the BB team from the inside, working as a Surrogate Manager for UK surrogates and as a Client Manager for intended parents exploring surrogacy options in the US and Canada. She uses her unique expertise to ensure clients find the right match for them.

Prior to working with us, Alyssa gained a Masters in Business Administration and worked as both a childcare worker and a Labour & Postpartum Doula after a short stint in the US Armed Forces. She has two human-sons, two fur-daughters, and one husband in the US Armed Forces who keep her laughing every day.

Particular areas of interest and expertise:

• Supporting new and experienced surrogates through the process of applying, screening and matching
• Supporting intended parents choosing between UK and US surrogacy paths
• Personal experience of both UK and US surrogacy, and as an egg donor

Luke Williams

Luke joined NGA in September 2021, having trained as a solicitor at a London firm providing advice for high net worth individuals. He read law at university, where he developed a strong interest in medical law and ethics including assisted reproduction.

Luke advises Brilliant Beginnings clients in legal reviews, provides ongoing support and advice, and conducts our day-to-day legal representation in parental order applications after both UK and international surrogacy. He also manages British nationality and passport applications for children born through surrogacy.

Luke is a fierce advocate for all members of the LGBT+ community and joined the Law Society’s LGBT+ Lawyers Division Committee in 2019, becoming Chair in October 2021. As a trans man he also has invaluable practical knowledge in relation to issues affecting trans and non-binary people, including gender recognition and parenthood. Luke prides himself on his thoughtful and sensitive approach.