Frome Birth Talk launches urgent fundraising appeal and appears on BBC Radio Somerset

10 minutes ago

2 min read

If you follow us on social media, you may have seen that Frome Birth Talk has launched an emergency fundraising appeal. This comes after a major grant rejection last week pushed our small charity into a precarious financial position.

The moment our Director, Suzy, opened the rejection email — and tried, unsuccessfully, not to cry — was shared publicly in a video that has now reached thousands. It was a vulnerable decision, but an important one. The response has been extraordinary, and we are deeply grateful for every message, donation, and share.

Despite this outpouring of support, our funding situation remains critical.

Why this matters now

Frome Birth Talk provides free and low‑cost counselling and community support to parents navigating some of the most challenging periods of their lives. In 2025 alone, we supported hundreds of local families; parents who reached out in moments of crisis, overwhelm, trauma, or isolation.

The day before the grant rejection arrived, a single mum of three told us:

“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Frome Birth Talk.”

Another mother shared:

“My counsellor at FBT has genuinely saved me from myself. I am no longer broken by my past. I have the power to mother myself as I mother my children.”

These are not isolated stories. They are the reason we exist.

What happens if we don’t secure urgent funding

After months of fundraising and numerous grant applications, we are now facing a devastating possibility: unless we raise a significant amount by Monday 11 October 2026, we will have to suspend our counselling waiting list to new referrals.

Our immediate goal is to raise £10,000: enough to keep the waiting list open and continue accepting parents who need support. Reaching £20,000 would give us vital breathing space while we secure longer‑term funding.

Thanks to the generosity of our community, we have already raised over £1,000 -around 12% of our target. But we must keep going.

BBC Radio Somerset covers the appeal

This morning, BBC Radio Somerset featured our story prominently in their headline news and aired two powerful interviews on the breakfast show:

1:06:30 — Sarah N’Guio, one of our brilliant service users, spoke with extraordinary honesty about how Frome Birth Talk saved her life.
2:07:30 — Suzy, our Director, explained why things have become so difficult for small charities and outlined what we must do now to survive.

You can listen to both clips here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00325ht

If you heard the interviews, we’d love to know.

How you can help

If you are able to:

Donate to the appeal here: https://localgiving.org/fundraising/Protect-Parents-Mental-Health
Share this appeal online
Introduce us to someone who may be able to help

…we would be incredibly grateful.

Every pound, every share, every conversation helps us move closer to keeping our doors open for the parents who need us most.