Our purpose

Petals was set up as a charity in July 2011 by a group of health professionals working in maternity care, alongside women who had experienced first-hand the loss of a baby, or trauma during birth.

We agreed that the purpose of Petals would be to:

1. Fund a specialist counselling service for parents affected by any of the following:
   Stillbirth
   Neonatal death
   Loss of pregnancy
   Poor/fatal fetal diagnosis
   Decision-making regarding termination of pregnancy
   Trauma/depression following delivery
   Miscarriage or recurrent miscarriage
   Fear of pregnancy/birth
   IVF anxiety
   Antenatal anxiety
   Phobic responses to antenatal care
2. Raise awareness, through marketing research and training, of the need for psychological care for parents who suffer emotional distress in pregnancy and birth.

Who we are

Karen Burgess, CEO

I have practised as a professional counsellor, coach and trainer for 12 years, working within the NHS and Adult Education, and maintaining a successful private counselling practice.

In 2009 I was fortunate to be offered the opportunity to establish and run a counselling service within the Rosie Maternity Hospital at Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge. The project was an undeniable success: in a two-year period, nearly 3% of patients using the Rosie Maternity Service also attended the counselling service.

In April 2011, the counselling service was closed and my role ended due to the withdrawal of funding through the NHS.
I strongly felt that this valuable service should not be lost but I wrestled with the dilemma of how to provide this support for the women and couples who were unable to fund private counselling. The idea of setting up a charity for this purpose occurred to me.

Some weeks later, after much research and many discussions with others committed to this idea, Petals was formed and registered as a charitable company.

My personal ambition for Petals is that it will evolve into a national charity that will secure funding to provide therapeutic counselling for every woman or couple that experiences pregnancy anxiety, trauma or loss in the UK.

Leanne Thurston, Charity Business Manager

I am a qualified accountant with over 10 years’ experience of financial and business management, and I hope to use this experience to provide guidance to Petals as it develops as an organisation.

Following the birth of our first son, I struggled to come to terms with the mental trauma of the birth experience, and with my new role as a mum. I was later diagnosed as having severe postnatal depression and through counselling, such as that provided by Petals, I have been able to successfully overcome these issues. I passionately believe that a service such as Petals should be available to all, regardless of their financial standing, and that my personal experiences are a demonstration of the powerful effect that a service like this can have on people’s lives.

Nina Wilson, Chair

I am a practising GP having completed my medical training in Oxford and Cambridge and I recently spent a year on secondment with the chief executive of the NHS.

I work with Petals because I firmly believe it is a vital service for women, couples and families. Working as a doctor, I see the long term physical and emotional impact that health issues have on people. A compassionate health service committed to recovery must attend to both. For many the depth of grief following the loss of a child is almost unspeakable, frightening, dreadfully lonely. Petals is there to help people to find their voice.

Birte Harlev-Lam, Trustee

I am a practising midwife with over 30 years experience in clinical, operational and strategic roles in maternity healthcare. I am very fortunate to have a career as a midwife and it is my strong professional belief that it is very important to ensure that women who have contact with maternity services have access to a full range of care and support.

During the past 10 years I have held a number of Head of Midwifery posts and I have always been privileged to be able to provide counselling services for women who have suffered loss.  I have seen first hand how valuable this service is in supporting women and their family following pregnancy loss and trauma and how it has helped them to move on in their lives. The work of Petals is essential and provides all important therapeutic counselling for women who may not otherwise have access to this professional support. It is an honour and a privilege to be a trustee of Petals.

Yvonne Sangster, Trustee

I am involved in Petals because having worked alongside professional colleagues supporting bereaved families for over 30 years, I feel this care is absolutely vital.

My role as a Bereavement Co-ordinator at the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge was a very practical one, however I had the opportunity to see at first hand the impact professional counselling could have on families who had suffered the loss of a baby. There are several very effective national organisations who offer a tremendous range of services and information to bereaved families, but I believe that local support is really important.

Esther Cornell, Trustee

I live in Cambridgeshire, work in industry and have two teenage children. I became a trustee of Petals because I am committed to the fact that counselling should be available to all. Currently, access to perinatal counselling is limited to those that can pay for the service, after such a traumatic loss it is important that this service is available to all – not just those with disposable incomes.

Shazia Bhatti, Trustee

I am a consultant obstetrician at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (Addenbrooke’s) and have trained in the East of England region. I care for women with ‘high risk’ pregnancies. Over the years I have looked after a number of women who have experienced problems during their pregnancy, delivery and postnatally. Sadly this also includes the tragic loss of a baby.

The effects of these problems on women and their families are devastating and can be long-lasting. Yet I have also seen how professional counselling can make a real difference to their lives and how they cope with a future pregnancy. A dedicated counselling service tailored to the needs of women with pregnancy-related problems is absolutely essential and should be widely and freely available. I am pleased to say that Petals offers this and am honoured to be involved.

Sally Ashton-May, Trustee

I am a practising midwife with 24 years’ experience in clinical practice. I have 16 years senior operational and managerial experience in Maternity Services, with part of this managing a women’s counselling service in a large London Trust. I have been fortunate enough to work as both a midwife and a manager in services that have provided expert support for women that have experienced loss and trauma but I currently provide consultancy services for NHS England and Health Education England working on a variety of maternity related projects and am aware of many areas where this very important element of care is not available.

I am proud to be a trustee of Petals and to be able to be a part of an organisation that delivers an excellent, specialist counselling service to many women who otherwise may not have access to this essential support at such a difficult time in their lives.

Kerry Goodwin, Treasurer

I am a qualified accountant with experience of working in various industries.  I live in Cambridgeshire with my husband and two young children.  I chose to work with Petals because I believe the charity offers a valuable service to people at a vulnerable time in their lives.  I hope to use my knowledge and experience to help the charity build a sustainable platform to continue to offer the service to all who need it.