Here’s what we have been up to and the impact we have had in Q2 of 2024.
Fundraising Highlights:
This past quarter has been exceptional for our fundraising efforts. Thanks to the unwavering support of our community, we raised over £11,000. A special mention goes to our Ride London team in May, who alone raised over £3,000.
Support Services:
From April to June, we assisted 640 new sufferers and their relatives, providing much-needed support and resources. Our Peer Support program successfully matched 99 pairs, fostering connections that offer emotional and practical assistance. Our support team was busy, sending over 7,000 WhatsApp messages to those in need, not including the interactions within the peer support framework.
Volunteering Efforts:
Our volunteer programme saw significant activity, with 39 potential volunteers interviewed and 24 completing their training.
Mental Health Support
This quarter, our counselling service held 145 sessions, benefiting 50 different individuals, demonstrating our commitment to comprehensive care.
Key Events and Initiatives:
- Primary Care Show: In May, we participated in the Primary Care Show, the largest event we’ve exhibited at. This platform allowed us to raise awareness about HG and connect with healthcare professionals to advocate for better care practices. We have a blog on this here written by our Community & Engagement Manager, Lindsay Salmon.
- Counselling and Mental Health Support:
We are addressing the significant gap in mental health support for HG sufferers. Our plans include offering fully funded and heavily subsidised specialist telephone/online counselling sessions to those experiencing emotional difficulties due to HG. This initiative aims to provide ongoing mental health support, particularly for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. You can self-refer to this service by visiting our counselling page.
Charity Manifesto Highlights:
As the U.K. braced itself for an election, we launched our Charity Manifesto for 2024 outlining several crucial initiatives we want the new government to prioritise. These include:
- Equal Access to Treatments: Ensuring all women and birthing people receive the best possible treatment for HG, regardless of their background.
- Mandatory HG Training for Healthcare Professionals: Implementing mandatory training to improve diagnosis and management of HG.
- Increased Funding for HG Research: Focusing on minority ethnic and socially disadvantaged groups who are more likely to develop HG.
Public Awareness and Advocacy:
We continue to advocate for better support and understanding of HG through various public awareness campaigns. These efforts help reduce stigma and ensure sufferers receive timely and appropriate medical attention. Our recent campaigns have focused on integrating mental health screening into routine HG care and promoting equitable access to treatments as outlined in the RCOG guidelines.
Social Media Highlights:
- HG Survey Launch: We announced our first annual HG survey to identify areas in the care and treatment of Hyperemesis Gravidarum that require improvement. The survey aims to gather crucial data to enhance healthcare for sufferers. We encouraged our community to participate and help us in our mission to create better healthcare for HG sufferers and over 1300 of you responded! We look forward to updating you on this in the coming months. If you are interested in other research projects we are working on/in collaboration with you can find out more here.
- Co-op Community Fund: We promoted our participation in the Co-op Community Fund, encouraging supporters to become Co-op members and nominate PSS as their chosen cause. This initiative helps raise funds for our HG counselling service that directly supports those affected by HG. If you haven’t linked your card yet you can do that here.
- National Volunteer Week: We celebrated the contributions of our amazing volunteers during National Volunteer Week, showcasing their exceptional work and expressing our gratitude for their dedication.
- International Hyperemesis Gravidarum Awareness Day: We marked this important day with various activities, including launching a new video and podcast series, “PSS in Conversation.” The first episode featured Dr. Asli Ucyigit discussing her experience with HG and the establishment of a new Ambulatory Hyperemesis Unit.
- Cultural Competency Training: Thanks to a grant from Another Way Women’s Foundation, we invested in implicit bias and cultural competency training. This training enhances our ability to provide inclusive and respectful support to women and birthing people from diverse backgrounds and is integral to our operations within the charity.
- HG Heroes Summer Challenge: We launched the brand-new HG Heroes Summer Challenge, a fun and engaging activity for children to support HG sufferers while staying active and learning about fundraising– want to take part? Sign up here.
Conclusion
This quarter has been marked by significant achievements and progress across all areas of our work. From fundraising and support services to volunteering and public awareness, Pregnancy Sickness Support remains dedicated to improving the lives of those affected by pregnancy sickness and Hyperemesis Gravidarum. Thank you to all our supporters and volunteers who make this possible.
When you read this, we will have a new government in the UK. Next quarter, one of our key focuses will be cementing relationships with the new government to further our cause. We aim to ensure that Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) is included in health policies and that, as the only UK charity supporting women and birthing people with this condition, we have a seat at the table in relevant discussions.
