Our Volunteer Summer Conference took place in sunny Twickenham on 5th July 2025.
Joined by the PSS HQ team, around 25 of our volunteers and HG Advocates gathered together to meet their peers, receive exclusive training, and share ideas with each other.
Alongside jam-packed training on Safeguarding, Boundaries, and an informative session delivered by Stop Domestic Abuse, volunteers received an exclusive update from CEO Charlotte Howden about exciting developments coming soon.
We also had a special presentation from Sarah Moore, one of our peer supporters who is currently doing a PhD on the mental health support needs of women experiencing HG in the UK. She discussed her methodology, and what she hoped to find with her research over the next few years.
Following lunch (kindly sponsored by Zurich Community Trust,) we heard from one of our HG advocates about a HG Improvement Project she has been working on.
The volunteers then took part in internal workshops to explore their own ideas for PSS, and what they think HG support could look like in the future.
Throughout the day, we also sorted out the fact from fiction, as we debunked various sickness myths including;
- Ginger cures HG (myth, we’d love it if this were true!)
- You must physically vomit to have HG (myth, HG is characterized by severe nausea and/or vomiting – see Windsor Definition for full diagnosis criteria.)
- HG stops at 12 weeks (again, sadly this is a myth. Some sufferers do find their symptoms improve by 20 weeks, but for others, they can last the full duration of the pregnancy.)
At PSS, our volunteer community of over 200 people means we can continue to deliver invaluable support to women, birthing people, their families and healthcare professionals.
We are always looking for new volunteers to support increasing demand on our services. If you’ve experienced HG or nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP,) we are keen to hear from you!
To find out more about becoming a volunteer please email Volunteer@PregnancySicknessSupport.org.uk or visit click here.
Photography credit to @SekeraHaze
