May eBulletin
ASN May eBulletin
Welcome to your ASN eBulletin. ASN goes to a demo – and winds up in the Huffington Post. Want to do some pro choice networking in London or Bristol this month? In April ASN heard from 26 women, and we thank the supporters who make it possible. Have a spare room/sofa/airbed in W London, S London, Liverpool or Bristol? Read on!
- ASN in the News
- Pro Choice events in London and Bristol
- Women we’ve helped
- Taking a moment to thank our supporters
- Seeking hosts in W London, S London, Bristol and Liverpool
ASN in the News
It was great to see so many of you at the Pro Choice Demo at Bedford Square. One of ASN’s fliers made it into the hands of The Huffington Post’s Dina Rickman, resulting in this story quoting two ASN volunteers as well as representatives from bpas and the nifpa.
Pro Choice events in London and Bristol
Did the demo put you in the mood to spend more time in the company of your pro choice brethren and sisteren? Then there are a few upcoming events to think of attending:
Tue 15 May: ASN’s Mara Clarke will be speaking on a panel in Bristol as part of the Festival of Ideas: The Future of Feminism at 7.30 pm
Wed 16 May: Abortion Rights is hosting a Pro Choice Public Meeting from 7 pm in Committee Room 10, Parliament. Speakers include Dianne Abbott MP, Zoe Williams, Kat Banyard and Richy Thompson. RSVP to [email protected]
Thurs 24 May: There will be a Reproductive Health Happy Hour in Central London from 6 to 8 pm. Check the Facebook Page for more details!
Women we’ve helped
In May, ASN heard from 26 women in need of help. Following are some of their stories:
A young mother (including a young baby) pregnant as the result of rape. Her GP was anti choice and, when she asked about abortion told her never to come back again, and the illegitimate pregnancy advice centre she found told her she should have the baby and have it adopted.
A young woman who travelled to the UK for a termination but was sent home due to an unforeseen medical complication. She was able to make an appointment at a different clinic on another day, but the price of flying to the UK a second time left her short of funds.
An 18 year old student who after borrowing money from her sister and all of her friends was only able to raise half of the cost of the termination who texted in response to our grant: “Heyy , thanks so much ! your really helping me!! thanks so much you dont no what youv done !!! xxxx”
A married couple with children who called ASN after discovering that their current pregnancy had foetal anomalies. They have one part time job between them and are barely getting by and wound up using their grocery money to purchase the necessary plane ticket to travel to England to access a legal abortion.
The mother of a pregnant 15 year old girl struggling to raise the money for her daughter’s travel and abortion.
We thank these men and women from allowing us to share their stories.
Taking a moment to thank our supporters (and asking our supporters to let us know who they are!)
Are you one of ASN’s amazing donors? Take another look at the case studies above. You helped us help those women. Each week ASN hears from women like those above, women who are often in desperate circumstances. We are only able to help them as a result of the generosity of our donors – so thank you, thank you, thank you! Speaking of thank yous, if you have donated to us but have not received an email acknowledging your donation, please get in touch! This is especially necessary for those of you who have donated through standing order as the information we get from the bank is not generally enough to identify who donors are. Not an ASN donor but wish to become one? All funds donated by individuals go directly towards covering the cost of a woman’s abortion or travel to England.
Seeking W London, S London, Bristol and Liverpool hosts
ASN has experienced an increase in requests for housing, particularly near the clinics that provide abortion to 24 weeks – Richmond, Ealing, Streatham, Brixton and Bristol, as well as Liverpool. Do you have a spare room, pull out sofa, or air mattress and the desire to have a direct impact on a woman in need? Please get in touch, and feel free to pass the word along to any pro choice friends who live near these clinics.
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Thank you again for all your support. Without you, we wouldn’t have been able to provide accommodation, financial assistance, and confidential, non-judgemental information to the women in difficult circumstances who have contacted us.