How To Help

How To Support A Miscarriage Charity

It's estimated that as many as one in four pregnancies end in miscarriage, the loss of a pregnancy during the first 23 weeks. While some miscarriages may go unnoticed if they occur very early on, before a woman finds out she is pregnant, many happen once a woman is aware she is expecting. Around one in 100 women in the UK suffer from recurrent miscarriages, which can be particularly traumatic.

Whenever it occurs, miscarriage can be absolutely devastating for women, their partners and families. Support is often needed to help people overcome this incredibly difficult experience.

WHY VOLUNTEER WITH A MISCARRIAGE CHARITY?

While families and friends can rally round to offer emotional support after a miscarriage, sometimes people need professional help to cope. Miscarriage is a sensitive subject and some may find it difficult to discuss their experiences with the people closest to them, so charities can provide much-needed support.

If you want to help people take steps towards healing after a pregnancy loss, volunteering for a miscarriage charity could be a great idea. Donating a few hours a week or more to a worthy cause can be an incredibly enriching way to spend some of your spare time, and it's rewarding to know you're making a valuable difference to people in need.

HOW TO HELP MISCARRIAGE CHARITIES

Become A Volunteer Therapist

Therapy can play a major role in helping people grieve and recover from a miscarriage. If you're a trained therapist, your experience could prove invaluable to a charity such as Held In Our Hearts, which offers counselling sessions to individuals and couples who have experienced pregnancy loss.

Help Out At A Support Group

Some miscarriage charities run support groups, providing safe spaces for people grieving a miscarriage to talk with others who understand what they're going through. You could help in lots of different ways, from setting out the chairs to making hot drinks and sandwiches. If you have the relevant experience, you could even consider volunteering to lead a session.

Volunteer With A Helpline

Helplines can offer vital support for people who want to talk to someone confidentially following a miscarriage. If you can listen with a sympathetic ear and provide caring, sensitive advice, this could be the role for you. It may also be possible to provide support through an online chat service, which is becoming increasingly popular as a way for people to seek advice.

Help Out In A Shop

Many charities rely on shops to raise vital funds, and miscarriage charities such as Footsteps Counselling and Care are no different. From helping customers on the shop floor to ringing items through the tills, organising stock and arranging window displays, you could find yourself getting involved with a range of tasks when you volunteer to help at a charity shop.

Share Your Story

The emotional pain of miscarriage can feel isolating. Sometimes, reading or listening to someone as they open up about their own experience can offer hope of recovery to people who are struggling. If you've experienced a miscarriage, and you feel comfortable sharing your story, you could consider giving a talk at a support session or writing about your experience for a charity to post on their website. Your words could prove therapeutic to people going through a similar situation.

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU VOLUNTEER

If you're volunteering in a counselling-based role, such as with a helpline, you'll need to undergo training before you're able to help people on your own. In return, the charity you're helping is likely to request a minimum time commitment from you.
Helping people who are grieving can be tough and emotionally draining, but you should receive support to make sure you look after your own emotional state, too.

WHERE TO GET STARTED

There are miscarriage charities across the UK that help to provide vital support when people need it most, including:

HELPING DESERVING CAUSES

If you'd like to know more about getting involved in volunteering in your community, take a look at our Local Causes page and find opportunities near you.

Last updated: 01/04/2021