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2026
Hear Me Out
Hear Me Out is a community-led service that addresses communication gaps around women’s perinatal mental health within young Somali families in Tower Hamlets, London.
The service supports women in the perinatal phase, from pregnancy to one year postpartum, and their spouses, focusing on early family life when emotional needs are high and misunderstandings are common.
Outcome: A toolkit for a repeatable workshop delivered through WIT and facilitated by their Health Champions that supports healthier perinatal communication within families.
Project partners:
Project Details:
Duration: 14 weeks
Team: Maitreyi Mandrekar, Mehal Chandra, Riccardo Nembrini, Jiayi Tina Zhang and Shrishti Madan
Methods: User-centred research, Service mapping and blueprinting, Co-design workshops and facilitation, User testing.
Image captured during the Co-design activity with Somali women in Tower Hamlets at the WIT office.
Despite women’s need for emotional and health support, men often struggle to respond due to cultural norms and the belief that women’s health is private, creating a gap in open conversations at home.
Project Timeline
Initial Research
We began with desk research to understand the socio-demographic profile of Tower Hamlets and the women’s health service landscape, including availability, access, and community perception.
We identified 5 broad themes and focused on those that could be addressed at an individual level.
Interview with Voluntary Services
Insights
How might we support women to have more open, confident and constructive conversations about their perinatal mental health with their husbands?
Journey Mapping - Perinatal Emotions
Women’s Inclusive Team (WIT) emerged as a key delivery partner due to their strong relationships, trust, and ongoing work with Somali women in Tower Hamlets around perinatal health.
Image captured during the first pilot run of the service prototype.
Co-design with WIT & Somali Women
Somali women interacting with the Co-design activities at WIT.
Survey with 
Somali Man
Somali men taking part in our survey at the Mosque.
Design Opportunities
Concept Development with WIT
Designing and Feedback with the WIT engagement partners.
Prototyping
Our team prototyping the final artefacts for the 'Hear me Out' service.
Our team prototyping the final artefacts for the 'Hear me Out' service.
The Hear Me Out Toolkit
How does the service work?
User Testing and Feedback
Video of Muna, a communication engagement lead at WIT, about her experience at the workshop.
Conclusion and Impact
The project creates impact by shifting how perinatal mental health is understood and communicated within families. Rather than trying to solve deeply rooted cultural barriers, it introduces a practical, human-centred entry point, enabling women to express their needs and making support more visible at home.
Its strength lies in working through existing community structures like WIT, ensuring that trust, cultural sensitivity, and facilitation are central to adoption. This makes the solution not just a tool, but a scalable and adaptable service that can be embedded within community and faith-based settings.
Way Forward
Read our entire report, personal reflection and project video below:
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