Charity offering support for those facing unplanned pregnancy receives £9,672
A charity offering support to anyone facing an unplanned pregnancy has received £9,672 to continue and expand its counselling and education services in the area.
A spokesperson for the charity said: “Pregnancy Options is delighted to have received the money from the Postcode Society Trust.
“As a small charity all grants and funding awards such as this are paramount to continued success and received with gratitude.”
From a discreet office space in central Chichester the charity offers free, non-directive support for anyone facing an unplanned pregnancy, as well as longerterm emotional and practical support for those struggling following an abortion or dealing with pregnancy loss.
Over the course of the pandemic, the charity’s counselling services have remained in high demand.
Using a mixture of online, telephone and face-to-face counselling, the charity, with its team of volunteer counsellors, has been able to continue operating throughout, offering its services at times all over the country. Clients have expressed their thanks and gratitude for the support received saying: “This is a great service and I’m grateful to the GP who told me about it. The volunteers are amazing.”
“I wanted to say thank you for getting me an appointment so quickly. You’ve helped me twice now when I felt so lost and scared. Thank you again.”
The charity set a 2021 target to extend its services from the Chichester and Arun districts, over the Hampshire border towards Portsmouth.
There is no other service like Pregnancy Options Centre specifically for this area and so its provision is vital.
The funding from the Postcode Society Trust and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation has enabled the charity to strive for its goal, undertaking promotional campaigns to spread the message amongst health professionals and other charitable organisations in the areas, which has been well received.
The charity’s CEO, Anna Madge, extended her gratitude to the Postcode Society Trust.
“Like many charities over the pandemic, we have seen an increase in people accessing our services,” she said.
“The grant from the Postcode Society Trust means we can continue to operate and reach more people who are in need of support.
“With no other service like ours in this area, the safe and non-judgemental space we provide is vital for women, partners and their families who are experiencing a pregnancy crisis or loss.”
In addition to the counselling service, Pregnancy Options Centre also delivers interactive educational workshops in schools, colleges and youth settings.
This marks the first year sessions have been delivered by the charity within primary schools, in light of changes to the Relationships and Sex Education curriculum requirements.
Sessions have been fully booked as restrictions have allowed the physical delivery of sessions within school settings again, and feedback has been wholly positive.
This year is set to be a milestone for the charity as it hopes to reach its 1,000th client.
If you would like to support it, head to thewebsite at www. optionschichester.org.uk for more details on ways to donate. Or text OPTIONSCHI (followed by the amount) to 70460.