Our history

Our history

In 1964, after witnessing the grief of a young man whose wife died during childbirth, Obstetrician Professor Will Nixon of University College Hospital set up the Childbirth Research Centre to stop women and babies dying in pregnancy and childbirth. He and a team of well-respected obstetricians, gynaecologists and business partners registered it as a charity later that year.

In 1972, we changed our name to Birthright and in the 1980s, Diana, Princess of Wales, became an active and committed patron. We expanded our reach to all areas of women’s reproductive health, becoming Wellbeing of Women in 2004.