February 2011 eBulletin
January was a busy month for ASN between our event with the fabulous Ann Rossiter, calls from fourteen women, and almost running out of money! Luckily a new donor saved us in the nick of time. We have many events coming up in the next few months – hope to see you there. Find out how you can get involved – we couldn’t do it without you!
- Making a holy show of ourselves
- Women we’ve helped
- Would you be our valentine?
- ASN: Upcoming news and events
- Donate! Fundraise! Volunteer!
Making a holy show of ourselves
On Monday, 31 January, almost thirty of you joined us at the Punch Tavern to hear the incomparable Ann Rossiter perform her monologue, Making a Holy Show of Myself. Despite her protests that she was not a professional comedian, there were plenty of laughs during her performance. Ann has been touring with this piece throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland in an attempt to bring about a different kind of conversation on abortion, separate from the political and anti-choice rhetoric. The event raised £135 for ASN. Thanks to all who attended and donated!
Woman we’ve helped
In January we heard from 14 women and were able to provide each one of them with the appropriate mix of funding, accommodation and confidential, non-judgemental information. These included:
The mother of a young teen who was unaware that her daughter was pregnant until she was 20 weeks pregnant.
A teenager pregnant as the result of rape. The girl’s family, which has several children, is barely surviving on disability benefits.
The friend of an immigrant living in Ireland who speaks no English.
A young woman who missed her December appointment due to the snow storm. Between the money she’d saved, a grant from ASN and a price reduction from the clinic, she was able to rebook and travel to have her procedure in January.
Single mother of a young child, recently out of drug rehabilitation, on lone parent allowance.
A young woman who had this to say: “I’m a lone parent and it wouldn’t be fair to me or my child or the baby to have the baby. I just wish I was able to get this procedure here. It’s terribly unfair that I have to come up with this money and find someone to leave my child with while I go overseas.”
ASN thanks these women for sharing their stories with us, and for permitting us to share them with you.
Would you be our valentine?
Wondering what to get that special someone in your life this Valentine’s Day? You can’t buy love but you can help someone access a safe, legal abortion. ASN is once again offering a Valentine’s Day eCard. At £2.00, it’s cheaper than most paper cards, good for the environment and saves you a trip to the Post Office. You don’t even have to send the card yourself – we’ll do that for you. Best of all – all proceeds will help fund the abortions of women from Ireland and Northern Ireland forced to travel and pay privately for the procedure.
Upcoming News and Events
We have a busy Spring planned. Here is a selection of events that are coming up:
March 2011 – Launch of ASN’s new website and Standing Order Campaign. Our goal is to secure £1,000 per month in regular donations (Standing Orders – those of you outside of the United Kingdom can do this via PayPal subscriptions) by the time we turn two in October 2011. If you have not already filled out a Standing Order form please do so! £2 a month, £5 a month, £20 a month, every little helps!
Mon 14 March will be our next Pro Choice Happy Hour. In true ASN style this will be a St Patrick’s Day themed event (oh, the irony) complete with green baked goods. Central London Venue TBD [we may actually have this by tomorrow – editors, please cast your vote for Old Star, Old Bank of England or Punch Tavern . . . ].
May 2011 – ASN is very excited to share the news that there will be screenings of the gripping film “Abortion Democracy: Poland South Africa” in Warwick (9 May), Bristol (10 May) and London (11 May). The film explores and contrasts changes in Poland and South Africa regarding abortion laws and their impact on the lives of women. There will be a Q&A with director Sarah Diehl at each of the events. Stay tuned for venues and times!
Donate! Fundraise! Volunteer!
Since opening our doors in Oct 2009, ASN has heard from more than 100 women needing our support, and have been able to provide each of them with the appropriate mix of accommodation, financial support and confidential, non-judgemental information.
The good news is that our phone keeps ringing – which means that more and more women in need are learning that ASN is here to help them. In the 3 months since ASN’s ‘birthday’ at the end of October, we’ve heard from 44 women. To put that number in perspective, it’s equivalent to two-thirds of the women who contacted us in our first year.
A donation or a standing order helps support women who desperately need access to safe and legal abortions.
Donations – via standing order, money transfer, PayPal or in the ASN bucket at one of our events – are urgently needed and gratefully received.
Every penny given to us by individual donors goes directly to help women.
If you have been thinking of making a donation, setting up a Standing Order, or telling your friends about ASN, now would be a great time to do so.
Volunteer!
As a volunteer-run organisation, ASN counts on people like you to make things happen. Interested in getting involved? We’re always looking for help, especially with fundraising and event coordination. We will also soon be looking for someone with database skills. Email us for more info.
Fundraise!
Are you interested in fundraising for ASN? Let us know and also check out our Fundraising Toolkit.
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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 more than 100 women in difficult circumstances who have contacted us.