Trustee Annual Report 2022-2023
Aims and Purposes
The Well Pregnancy Choices Centre was registered as a charity in December 2021 and officially launched on 14[th] March 2022.
There were 1,568 abortions in Gloucestershire in 2021. Figures have not yet been released for 2022. Research shows a woman (and her partner) are best able to cope with an unintended pregnancy decision when it is made free from pressure or fear, knowing they have made a truly informed choice, even if it is difficult at the time.
At The Well Pregnancy Choices Centre, we are able to provide the time, space and care that is needed for people facing a difficult Pregnancy Choice. Clients are given the space and support to make an informed decision without fear, pressure, or judgement. All the clients who completed evaluation forms said they found the session helpful and would recommend The Well Pregnancy Choices Centre to others.
The Centre provides caring and compassionate non-directive and nonbiased counselling, advice and support to women, partners and their families who are suffering from any physical or mental illness or distress during or because of pregnancy or the termination of pregnancy. This is delivered by accredited practitioners.
We also seek to preserve and protect the health of women with unplanned pregnancy or pregnancy complicated by a diagnosis of foetal abnormality or maternal morbidity or the termination of pregnancy.
Charitable Objectives and Activities
The Well Pregnancy Choices centre is committed to enabling anyone in and around Gloucestershire to access our services. Our objective is that anyone who needs support due to physical or mental illness or distress during or because of pregnancy or the termination of pregnancy can do so free of charge and in their own time without feeling rushed or directed towards any particular outcome.
Achievements and Performance
CLIENT SUPPORT
Our clients come from Gloucestershire, Bristol and further afield. In the year from October 2022, we had 12 new client referrals.
In the year from October 2022, we made 20 appointments for clients to be seen at the Centre with a further 38 client appointments for our telephone and zoom support programmes. This is a total of 58 appointments.
Our statistics show that clients contacted us for support for
Miscarriage 8%
Post abortion 42%
Unplanned pregnancy 42%
Other issues 8%
To ensure our service remains at a high standard, we monitor and evaluate the services that we offer. Client feedback has been encouraging:
One pregnancy choices client wrote: The session was helpful because "it made me realise that I needed to talk to someone about my situation"
A miscarriage client wrote: “remembering baby as a real person and that my feelings of loss and grief and hurt are valid. Such a brilliant programme, at the time I needed it most but didn't know it existed. I hope this programme is one day available to all those who need it :) thank you to all involved!”
A post abortion client wrote: “During the Bowl support programme I feel I have had significantly less days of low self esteem and I am better equipped to manage emotions after learning mechanisms to support me throughout these periods.”
Another post abortion client, when asked what the most helpful part of the support programme was, responded: “Knowing that the therapist I had was so supportive and listened to what I had to say. Also her ideas things such as starting a journal helped me express my feelings and make it easier to talk about them.”
Another post abortion client wrote: “Thank you for saving my life, without this programme I don’t honestly think I’d be here, this programme is hard but it is worth every second of the hard work just to still be here and be happy with the decision that me and my partner made because it was the right decision at the time.”
This year we have continued to focus on raising awareness of the centre through marketing, networking, and building relationships with other organisations in the area. It takes time to build those relationships in order for them to signpost potential clients to our centre. Business cards, leaflets and flyers have been distributed to local GP surgeries, churches and other organisations such as the local Mothers’ Union in Cheltenham and the Cheltenham foodbank. The student wellbeing team at the local university has been contacted and a meeting held with them.
We plan to continue to build relationships with these and other organisations.
Connections have been made with a centre in Yate near Bristol. We have attended training sessions with them and given a training session. We will continue to develop our connection with them. They often have a 12week waiting list for post-termination support clients. We have seen two of their clients who wanted sessions via Zoom thus reducing their waiting list and the amount of time a client had to wait for support.
We continue to plan to increase the number of trustees and will do this through advertising the local trustee bank. We plan to increase the number of volunteers who can offer support to clients. We will fund volunteers to complete the accredited training courses.
VOLUNTEERS
The Centre is reliant on voluntary help. This keeps the cost of our support services down so we can continue to provide them for free. We have a team of 3 volunteers.
Volunteers are given training and support including regular CPD from local professionals and via the Pregnancy Centres Network (PCN). The Pregnancy Centres Network (PCN) offers accredited training at Level 3 in pregnancy choices and post termination support which volunteers have completed.
Those involved in providing support have access to supervision at the centre in Yate on a regular basis. A trained supervision facilitator provides monthly group supervision.
Our work is strengthened and improved by working together with other agencies. We are constantly working to raise our profile amongst health professionals, universities and the public by networking, forging partnerships and by advertising.
Finally, the Trustees would like to thank the many volunteers who support the work of the Centre.
Structure
The Well Pregnancy Choices Centre currently has four trustees, one of whom is the Centre Manager, and another is an accredited practitioner. Both are volunteers.
The Centre Manager deals with the day-to-day running of the centre, the administration, supports clients and makes connections with other organisations.
All the trustees are responsible for making decisions on all matters of general concern and importance to the centre including deciding on how the funds of The Well Pregnancy Choices centre are to be spent.
The trustees met twice between November and June but were in regular communication throughout the year to agree various aspects of the management of the centre.
Administrative Information
The Well Pregnancy Choices Centre is based in Cheltenham. It operates by appointment only and uses a room within a local community space to meet clients.
The administrative address is 10 Queens Head Close, Aston Cross, Tewkesbury, GL20 8FJ
It is a Charity Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and the registered Charity Number is 1197013
The Trustees are Helen Adair, Redacted name, Vanessa McCarthy and Carole Whyborn. All have been trustees since the charity was registered on 8[th] December 2021.
Financial Review
The Well Pregnancy Choices Centre held a fundraising evening in April. Other income came from individual donations.
Profit & Loss
The Well Pregnancy Choices Centre
Accounting Year 2022/23
| Debit | Credit | |
|---|---|---|
| add Other Income | 68 | |
| Interest Received | 68 | |
| less Administration Expenses | -2,906 | |
| Office Costs | 4 | |
| Office Equipment | 60 | |
| Mobile Phone | 60 | |
| Stationery | 135 | |
| Licenses and Permits | 35 | |
| Miscellaneous | 154 | |
| Advertising and Promotion | 155 | |
| Postage | 34 | |
| Charitable Donations | -3,746 | |
| Insurance | 165 | |
| Travel | 38 | |
| less Staff Costs | 1,157 | |
| Staff Training | 1,157 | |
| less Tax-Disallowable Admin Expenses | 9 | |
| Business Entertaining | 9 | |
| Operating Profit | £1,808 | |
| less Drawings | £0 | |
| less Profit & Loss journal entries | £0 | |
| Retained Profit this period: | £1,808 | |
| Retained Profit brought forward: | £8,416 | |
| Distributable Reserves / Retained Profit carried forward: | £10,224 |
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