The PSS Team
Up until early 2021 Pregnancy Sickness Support only had two paid members of staff. We have grown significantly since then in response to the demand for our service, and now have more than ten members of staff; allowing us to take the necessary steps in securing the future of PSS.
Staff on the PSS team
Chief Executive Officer - Charlotte Howden
Charlotte has been a campaigner and Trustee for PSS since 2018 and is well known for presenting and producing the world's first documentary about Hyperemesis called 'Sick - The Battle Against HG'.
Charlotte joined the Charity as CEO in August 2023 and is passionate about progressing the Charity further, building on the legacy of previous COO's and Charity Managers.
Charlotte has over 20 years experience in marketing, business and PR and is a Law LLB Graduate. As a sufferer herself, she is determined to utilise her years of business experience to develop the Charity further and continue to help sufferers with both the physical and mental aspects of this condition.
You can contact Charlotte directly at office@pregnancysicknesssupport.org.uk
Fundraising Manager- Faye Jepson
Faye became a peer support volunteer in November 2019 after suffering with HG in both of her pregnancies.
Motivated to help even more HG sufferers, in June 2022 Faye joined the PSS team as Individual Giving and Partnerships Officer. Responsible for coordinating our fundraising efforts among volunteers and supporters, Faye is the main point of contact for those interested in, or actively fundraising for the charity.
Faye’s background is in lingerie design and account management. Faye is excited to bring her experience of strategic planning, relationship building and creative thinking from the design industry into the charity sector at PSS.
You can contact Fundraiser Faye directly at fundraising@pregnancysicknesssupport.org.uk
Volunteer Manager - Tuesday McEwan
Having been a volunteer for the charity for over 3 years, Tuesday became our Peer Support Coordinator and in 2023 progressed into the role of Volunteer Coordinator.
Tuesday has come from a background of working with challenging behaviour within the education sector, but having suffered a difficult pregnancy with her third son, her passion now lies with the charity and their mission.
You can contact Tuesday directly at volunteer@pregnancysicknesssupport.org.uk
Community Engagement Manager - Lindsay Salmon
Lindsay has been involved with Pregnancy Sickness Support since 2014 doing all things volunteering from moderating the forum to fundraising and from peer support to talking to student midwives about HG.
Now stepping into the role as Project Coordinator, Lindsay will develop strong links with other organisations, reinvent our Healthcare Professionals Training, help to build a strong community element to the Pregnancy Sickness Support family and generally bang the drum for the Charity! Lindsay has a background in teaching and Special Educational Needs coordination in primary schools, but after two HG Pregnancies, she choose to retrain as a Counsellor having experienced the huge benefits that Counselling can bring.
Lindsay's enthusiasm and passion for supporting women with HG and those recovering from HG has been a driving force in her volunteer work for Pregnancy Sickness Support in her belief that women with HG deserve better, more consistent care.
You can contact Lindsay directly at project@pregnancysicknesssupport.org.uk
Information and Support Coordinator - Marianne Eldridge
Having been a volunteer with the charity since April 2021, Marianne joined the support team in March 2023 as a point of contact for people contacting the charity via our digital helpline channels for information about nausea and vomiting in pregnancy and HG. She is now responsible for matching sufferers for peer support to volunteers within our support network.
Having suffered with HG in three out of her four pregnancies, Marianne has a good understanding of the condition, and is passionate about working with the charity to improve knowledge and care for those suffering. Marianne was previously a primary school teacher before taking some time off to be with her family, and is now excited to have officially joined the team here at Pregnancy Sickness Support.
You can contact Marianne directly at support@pregnancysicknesssupport.org.uk
Helpline Coordinator - Verity Blackman
Verity joined Pregnancy Sickness Support as Helpline Coordinator in October 2022 as one of the support team, answering calls for help from our service users and supporting volunteers on our online webchat service.
Verity had a 20 year career in contemporary dance based in London, adding movement and multi sensory therapies to work with adults and children with complex needs; developing her skills to become a personal trainer and sport massage therapist.
Verity went onto to become a midwife in 2014 and relocated to Cornwall just 4 years later where she worked at a local birthing centre before joining us at Pregnancy Sickness Support. Her clinical knowledge of pregnancy and associated issues will be an asset to the team.
Helplines Operator - Gift Kasim Zabib
Gift Joined Pregnancy Sickness Support in September 2022. As a Helpline Operator, her role as the first point of contact between the organisation and service users includes, empathetically communicating with people affected by pregnancy sickness and HG; including their family members and friends and relaying the most recent and accurate pieces of information about treatments and coping strategies.
Gift is a teacher by profession who has dedicated a lot of her time in supporting and empowering young girls and women through non-governmental organisations in Uganda and South Sudan and now, in the UK.
Digital Helplines Operator - Adriana Oliver
Adriana joined Pregnancy Sickness Support as a helpline operator in June 2023.
Adriana previously worked within primary schools as a teacher and specialised in supporting children who had additional needs as well as their families and the professionals working with them.
Adriana has a good understanding of neurodiversity, chronic illness and disability and is passionate about advocating for those whose voices may not always be heard.
Meet the counselling team
Counselling Service Coordinator - Caroline Ridge
Caroline joined the team in March 2023 as our Counselling Service Coordinator and brings a combination of business and counselling experience to the team. Caroline has also volunteered as a Peer Support worker for Pregnancy Sickness Support over the last two years.
Working alongside the in-house and volunteer counsellors, Caroline is responsible for ensuring this much needed service is delivered efficiently to current and previous pregnancy sickness sufferers. Caroline will also continue to explore and secure external funding for the service and work to develop an accessible Mental Health Hub. As a previous HG sufferer in both her pregnancies, Caroline understands the importance of being able to offer sufferers a same, empathic and confidential space to process their experiences.
You can contact Caroline directly at counselling@pregnancysicknesssupport.org.uk
Development Lead Counsellor - Terri Nash
Hi, I am Terri and I am an Integrative trauma informed counsellor with over 10 years of experience of working with people who have experienced traumatic life events. Since becoming a mother, myself I have become very passionate about Maternal mental health and the impact someone's care can have on their recovery. I am passionate about supporting mothers through their journeys especially when faced with debilitating hurdles along the way such as pregnancy sickness and hyperemesis gravidarum. Whilst we cannot yet cure HG, I believe that a safe, non-judgemental space to explore its impact can be vital in supporting women through the challenges they face with this condition.
Alongside offering HG specialist counselling sessions, Terri will be providing supervision to our volunteer counsellors, providing clinical oversight to the service and its development, training counsellors in understanding the effect of NVP/HG can have on someone's mental health and contributing to the charities safeguarding policies, procedures and practice.
HG Specialist Counsellor - Lucy Nicolas
Hello, my name is Lucy and I am an integrative counsellor. This means that I use different approaches to best support clients, tailored to their individual needs, experiences and circumstances.
My own experiences of pregnancy sickness and its impact are what initially motivated me to train as a counsellor eight years ago and continue to influence my passion for working in maternal mental health. Over the years I have been lucky to have worked in different support roles including neonatal intensive care, then counselling for various counselling charities.
My professional experiences add to my personal insights of the challenges that hyperemesis gravidarum and pregnancy sickness can bring. This understanding underpins my approach to counselling. My main aim in my work is always to provide a safe, understanding warm professional relationship, which enables clients to be heard and have their individual experiences and feelings validated free of judgement.
