Supporting those affected by fertility or pregnancy issues, traumatic birth or baby loss
Gloucester based charity serving Gloucestershire
supporting those affected by pregnancy-related issues & loss
Serving Gloucestershire
WE ARE
footsteps counselling & care
Footsteps Counselling & Care is a charitable organisation offering compassionate counselling and care for anyone in the Gloucestershire area affected by pregnancy-related issues, the loss of a baby for any reason, traumatic birth, fertility problems and pregnancy-related mental health issues.
Our vision is that anyone affected by fertility or pregnancy-related issues, traumatic birth or baby loss can access compassionate personalised support on the journey of coping with their traumatic experiences.
We can provide dedicated one to one or couples counselling support to anyone in Gloucestershire struggling with pregnancy-related issues or loss. We do not charge for our counselling service.
Contact
Other support
Donate
In order to carry out our work, we rely on the generosity of our supporters and fundraisers, grant and funding organisations and our own charity shop.
Do you need help?
Call us on 01452 308618 or get in touch via our contact form
What we do
Talking to a counsellor
Counselling offers people a chance to talk through issues and problems that are having an impact on their life in a safe, neutral environment. Our counsellors will not make any assumptions or judgements about you as a person or about what you share with them. They will help you to explore what is happening to you and support you to find ways of moving forwards.
Common questions
How can counselling help?
Our experience has shown that people who are struggling to come to terms with a loss such as miscarriage or stillbirth have found that being able to talk about them in a safe space has helped them with the grieving process. Before starting counselling we ask new clients to attend an initial assessment session which gives you an opportunity to find out more about Footsteps Counselling & Care and how counselling might be of help.
Is there a waiting list?
We do have a waiting list. Due to the nature of our work it is hard to know how long the wait will be. If we put you on our list we will see you as soon as we possibly can and let you know roughly how long that wait will be.
How many sessions can I have?
At this time we are able to offer you up to 12 counselling sessions. This is to enable us to minimise the waiting time for our service. Of course, you can come for less than 12 sessions, and should you find you need more than 12, your counsellor will explain what your options are.
What is the cost of our services?
How do I refer for counselling?
Anyone is very welcome to refer themselves to us too. Just give us a call on 01452 308618, email office@footstepscandc.org.uk or send us an enquiry via our contact form.
How can I donate to your work?
How can I get involved?
Are you open during the pandemic?
Our office team are mainly working from home and can be contacted by emailing office@footstepscandc.org.uk or by using the contact form.
Our charity shop is open too, visit our shop page to find out our opening hours and how to donate items for sale.
Our blog
Personal stories
To The Broken Mum
Whilst dropping my husband off at work one morning I sat in the car with tears rolling down my cheeks. The baby had been awake all night, I hadn't slept for weeks and I had a whole day alone with my 3 month old baby. I sobbed all the way to his work and when it was...
Loss and the impact on close relationships
Grief has been explained to me in many ways. One picture that stays in my mind is the one where it simply starts at one stage, goes through many others and ends in another. If only it was that simple.... Next to this one, is what I think represents it in a better way,...
You do not have to feel like you are alone
People may think , oh all she ever goes on about is baby loss this baby loss that. Others may accept my passion for it , but not quite understand. I will try to explain . When I lost my boy, it was probably the most lonely time in my life. I felt that no one could...
Support us
Ways to donate
Donate to our shop
Donations of good quality baby clothes, kitchen equipment, clothes, books, DVDs and bric-a-brac are always welcome.
Purchase from our shop
Pop into our shop on 51 Westgate Street, Gloucester or take a look at our eBay shop.
Make a cash donation
You can make a donation via Virgin Money Giving, Paypal, or Facebook.
Donate as you shop
Amazon.co.uk will donate on your behalf, if you choose us as your charity via smile.amazon.co.uk at no cost to you.
Fundraising
You can support us with a sponsored run, swim, tea party... or anything! Set up your own page via Virgin Money Giving.
Supporting us
Ways to volunteer
People choose to volunteer for a variety of reasons. For some it offers the chance to give something back to the community or make a difference to the people around them. For others it provides an opportunity to develop new skills or build on existing experience and knowledge. It is a great way to meet new people and have fun too!
We are currently looking for retail assistants, administrative support and qualified counsellors but we are always more than happy to hear from anyone that has a skill or idea that could help our charity, do get in touch
Support us
Visit our shop
Our charity shop on Westgate Street, Gloucester offers a wide range of items from books and clothes to kitchen equipment and small items of furniture.
We have strict COVID safe procedures in place to keep you and our team safe. All items are quarantined before being put out for sale and you will be required to wear a mask and sanitise your hands.
We also have an eBay shop with items added regularly.
Call our shop
Call 01452 412380
Where we are
You can find us at
51 Westgate Street, Gloucester GL1 2NW
Opening hours
Mon, Wed, Fri & Sat:
10am - 5pm.
Donate items
We are always very grateful for donations to our shop. We are happy to accept most items, but do give us a call if you’re not sure, our shop team will be happy to help.
Small donations can be made any time during shop opening hours. If you have a large donation or heavy or bulky items please give us a call to arrange a suitable time to drop off.
Follow us
Footsteps Counselling & Care continue to offer peer support groups to our community in Gloucestershire. Our group runs monthly on a Tuesday evening in Gloucester City. Until April this space is for people who have experienced trauma and difficulty around the child bearing year and beyond. This ...could include post natal depression, breast or feeding difficulties or traumatic birth to name but a few.
If you feel you would like to attend this group space please contact hayley@footstepscandc.org.uk
@rootscoffeecommunity
#birthtraumasupport #footstepscounsellingcare #pnd #breastfeedingdifficulties #nicu #gloucestershiremotherhood #gloucestershirevents #perinataltraumasupport #perinataltrauma #birthtrauma
Local bereaved parents are setting up support for dads that have lost a baby. This is really fantastic and so needed.
Please let us know if we can help with anything Baby Loss Parents, we'd be happy to support if we can.
💙
Weʼre raising money to Create boxes for dads who have experience baby loss. Support this JustGiving Crowdfunding Page.
www.justgiving.com
It's Winnie The Pooh Day!
#winniethepoohday
Wednesday Wisdom from Charlie Mackesy #WellbeingWednesday 💙👣
Wow, thanks Givey! It's lovely to be noticed. We appreciate your support 💙😀
Today is Samaritans #BrewMonday. Its a reminder to reach out and connect. We love a cuppa and a chat here at Footsteps! Small interactions, a friendly face or a listening ear often make all the difference. Who are you connecting with this week?
If you or someone you know is struggling with... any pregnancy or fertility related issue or loss, or feeling low during pregnancy or after birth, do get in touch.
We provide one to one and couple counselling and peer support groups in Gloucestershire. We're here to help.
Samaritans are always available on 116 123 .
💙
We are so pleased that we are now able to offer peer support groups. Our new group starts next week. We will be focusing on trauma around the child bearing year. This could include (but is not exclusive to) traumatic birth, NICU/ SBU stay, premature baby, breastfeeding difficulties, postnatal ...trauma and PND.
Groups take place in Gloucester city and will run up until April. The group will meet monthly, you don't have to attend every one, each session is stand alone. You'll be very welcome.
For more information contact hayley@footstepscandc.org.uk
Roots Coffee Community
#birthtraumasupport #footstepscounsellingcare #pnd #breastfeedingdifficulties #nicu #gloucestershiremotherhood #gloucestershirevents #perinataltraumasupport #perinataltrauma #birthtrauma
Our new support group starts next week, focusing on trauma including traumatic birth, NICU/ SBU stay, premature baby, breastfeeding difficulties, postnatal trauma and PND.
For more information contact hayley@footstepscandc.org.uk
#birthtrauma #PND #traumaticbirth #nicu