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20 Years of theDonor Conception Network
DCN Annual Review2012-2013
Aims and objectives• to enhance the well-being of donor conceived children by seeking to ensure that the families they grow up in can address in an open and confident way the social and emotional issues that donor conception raises • to promote social equality by championing openness, acceptance and understanding of donor conception as a method of family building
Ethos, values and principles • membership self-help charitable network, parent-led and child-centred• inclusive, non discriminatory and non judgmental• appropriate and proportionate help for those with special needs Ambition • to be the leading source of knowledge and support in relation to the social and emotional issues faced by those contemplating or undergoing donor conception treatment and by donor conception families in the UK and across the world Provision of service • to minimise isolation and to develop mutual support by facilitating contact among those affected by donor conception• to maintain and develop support resources in a variety of media (print, film, online) both in free access form and for sale• to maintain a website that is seen as a leading source of up to date knowledge and information about donor conception• to offer a programme of professionally led workshops to help intending and actual parents
As a publicly engaged organisation• to contribute to the social policy objective of ensuring that donor conceived children are told about their origins as early as possible and in the best possible way• to contribute to the development of knowledge by working with researchers • to be a worthy and responsible recipient of grants from public and charitable sources
As a charitable business • a not-for profit operation to be run and managed by a combination of trustees, volunteers and paid staff, using our resources efficiently and effectively to achieve maximum impact with minimum resource• to solicit grants from wherever possible, but to aim to be sustainably self-funding • to price for sale items so as to achieve both maximum market penetration and also income as a contribution to the long-term sustainability of the organisation
Our Aims
Message from the Chair
DC Network celebrated its 20th birthday in 2013. This 20 year anniversary provided
a good opportunity to pause and think about where we’ve come from and where
we are headed next. When the Network was founded all sperm and egg donation
in the UK was anonymous, the prevailing recommendation from professionals was
that secrecy about donor conception was best for all concerned and egg donation
was in its infancy. So much has changed in just a generation. The founding families
struggled at our anniversary event in June 2013 to believe that the Network had been
around for 20 years. And yet several people said they found it hard to believe it was
‘only’ 20 years since the organisation was founded as it felt as though we had been
around forever. Either way, it has been a remarkable 20 years and DC Network is now
looking forward to an exciting and eventful future.
20 years at DCN
“It has been a privilege to help to guide the Network through another successful year. I
thank my fellow trustees and steering group members, together with the many volunteers
who help to keep the Network going. But the biggest debt of gratitude is owed to Network
Manager Nina, and Caroline and Lucia her office assistants. What a team!”
Walter Merricks, Chair of Trustees
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MembershipWhen the Network started 20 years ago it was originally called the
DI (donor insemination) Network reflecting how at that time both
the method of treatment (DI rather than IUI or IVF) and the donation
type (sperm) were very much the norm. Seven years on the Network
changed its name to the more inclusive DC Network, covering all
methods of treatment and donation types (egg, double and embryo
donation).
We have detailed records of our membership from 2006 and
comparing the stats from 2006 to 2013 tells an interesting story.
Membership has nearly doubled over the last 7 years, which
demonstrates that more people are considering donor assisted
conception, but perhaps also that more people are happy to be open
and confident about this decision and therefore join our Network to
share their feelings and learn about the experiences of others.
Looking back
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Single wom
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Professi
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2006 2013
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Donation TypesThe number of egg, double and embryo donation households has
increased dramatically over the last 6 years. Sperm donation is
not increasing at the same rate, which is very interesting as that
donation type represents households with single women, lesbians and
heterosexual couples, whereas the egg donation numbers only include
heterosexual couples.
The number of single women having double or embryo donation is
increasing significantly and we are currently working on children’s story
books to cover these scenarios which we hope to publish in 2014.
We are also welcoming a small number of gay men to the Network and
this is another group we want to support more in terms of resources
and books.
Looking back
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2013
Calls and EmailsThe volume of calls and emails to the office is increasing every year, but
it is noticeable that the phone calls are only slightly increasing whereas
email volume is nearly 4 times higher. The number of longer counselling
type calls is also going up dramatically, all requiring considerable
resources within the office.
Many people who contact us have just found out they will need a
donor to create their families. These people are often in distress and
need support and an open ear. There are heart-breaking stories of
failed relationships, unsuccessful IVF attempts and a deep yearning for
children and a family.
Other calls are from people with children who realise they need support
with telling them about their origins. It is one thing to want to be
open. It is quite another to work out how to do that with confidence.
There can be enormous anxiety and fear, and also sometimes a lack
of certainty that this is actually the right thing to do. Occasionally we
are contacted by parents of adult children who have decided, after
following the original professional advice to keep it a secret, that they
would like to tell their children about their conception and need help.
All these issues take time to work through and the office is here to
support people.
Making contact
“Thank you so much for being there. I’m so
glad I found the Network. Your support has
made all the difference.”
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Longcounselling calls
2006 2013
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DCN’s 20th AnniversaryIn June we held a launch event at the Nuffield Foundation for our two new booklets
and used the opportunity to gather key people from the last 20 years to celebrate
our anniversary at the same time. Of course, many people who are important to
DC Network were unable to attend, not least because it was a weekday reception
in London. But we were delighted that Melanie Johnson, the MP who took the
brave decision to support the ending of anonymity for donors in the UK, was able
to join us. Some of the founding families attended, including Andy and Angela
Mays and Jane and Neil Offord, along with Sheila Cooke and her husband Ian who
were integral to the creation of the Network right in the beginning. Many of our
welcomers, group coordinators and workshop facilitators were able to be there and
it was a great opportunity for people to meet. We were also able to show our new
short film, which is up on our web site.
Telling Friends and Family booklets For some time it had been clear that telling and talking with family and friends
was proving more complex an issue for members than talking with their children.
Founder member Olivia Montuschi identified a need for books addressing this topic
back in 2008 but without funding producing these materials was difficult to achieve.
In 2012 the Nuffield Foundation agreed to provide the money for such a project.
Two new booklets, Telling and Talking with Friends and Family and Our Family (to
give to friends and relatives) were published in June 2013 and each are selling well.
Clearly a much needed resource for our families.
Telling and Talking Telling and talking with family and friends about donor conceptionA Guide for Parents
By Olivia Montuschi
Donor Conception Network
A guide for the relatives and friends of those contemplating donor conception, undergoing treatment or parenting young donor conceived children
By Olivia Montuschi
Our Family
Donor Conception Network
20th anniversary
In foreground:
Angela Mays (left) and Sheila Cooke (right)
Walter Merricks and Melanie Johnson
Other DCN activitiesIn October 2012 we held a conference in Bristol on the topic
“Telling Friends and Family” with 130 adults and 45 children (including a
children’s workshop).
In April 2013 the London conference featured a panel of young donor
conceived people talking about sharing information with their friends and
family. In the afternoon Katherine White, assistant director of the Nuffield
Council on Bioethics, gave a short presentation on their report (see Events of
2012-2013). We had over 200 adults plus around 95 children in the crèche
and children’s workshops.
We ran five Preparation for Parenthood workshops (two for single women/
lesbians and three for heterosexual couples). We also ran four Telling and
Talking workshops (one for single women/lesbians and three for heterosexual
couples). All our workshops were held in London as our funding from the
Department of Health had ended and our limited capacity in the office meant
we could only offer them close to the office. We had been using Family
Futures as a venue for our workshops, but in 2013 for various practical and
financial reasons we changed to hiring rooms in LIFT in Islington.
DCN activities
Tom, Laura, Hettie, Kate, Duncan, Sam and Louise
- panel at the London Conference 2013
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DCN Conference dining room
Other DCN activitiesAs part of our 20th anniversary year we decided to make a short film about
the Network and so invited Short Form Film to attend our London Conference
in April and capture the essence of what we do and who we are. What they
created is an inspiring and informative 5 minute film about the Network
helping explain and promote the work we do. It is a wonderfully moving
celebration of donor conception families.
In the Summer we produced 2 new posters featuring our members,
celebrating our families and advertising the Network.
In June we held an event for the publication of our 2 new books and to mark
our 20th anniversary.
Throughout the year we ran local group events in London, Hampshire, Bristol
and Yorkshire.
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NOT MY EGG ABSOLUTELY MY DAUGHTER
Over 20 years of supporting donor conception families. Join today for information and support.
dcnetwork.org
Over 20 years of supporting donor conception families. Join today for information and support.
dcnetwork.org
NOT MY SPERM ABSOLUTELY MY SON
DCN activities
Events outside DC NetworkThe future of the HFEA has been hanging in the balance for the last few
years, as there was a proposal to transfer its functions to the Care Quality
Commission as part of the government’s arm’s length bodies review.
In January 2013 the Department of Health, following its consultation,
announced that the HFEA would stay and retain its functions. This was a
huge relief for many of our families who were concerned that precious
details about their donors and their children’s half-siblings might not be
so well looked after by a new, untested, body with no understanding of
the sensitivity and importance of the information. DCN had been vocal
in opposing the transfer and had spent considerable time and energy on
the issue, so it was a relief to have this decision at last.
With some support and guidance from DC Network, in February 2013 a support group for parents using donor conception in
Germany, DI Netz, was formed.
In March 2013 UK Donor Link ceased to exist and its functions were transferred to the new Donor Conceived Register.
In April the Nuffield Council’s report Donor conception: ethical aspects of information sharing became available and reported that DCN
must survive and be supported. The report considers the interests of those affected by donor conception (donor-conceived people,
parents, donors, and all their wider family and social networks), and the role of the state in promoting or encouraging the sharing of
information. A central theme of the report is the importance of focusing on people and relationships; and of recognising the mutual
interests and responsibilities that arise in the context of those relationships.
Walter Merricks, Claudia Bruegge, Karsten Luno and Ulrich Simon
Other events
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Financial Summary 2012/13
This financial information is a summary of the unrestricted accounts of the Donor Conception Network for the period 1st August 2012
to 31st July 2013. There was a deficit of £8k of expenditure over income of which nearly £6k was due to web development costs. The
Network held unrestricted funds of £20.2k at the year end. We were in receipt of a grant from the Nuffield Foundation during this period.
These restricted funds are not included in the accounts here.
Unrestricted Funds
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shops
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£
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70.00
80.00
Websit
e
Total income: £99.6k Total expenditure: £107.4k
Donations
The Donor Conception Network relies on donations and grants to continue its valuable work. You can donate by sendinga cheque to the address above, or using the donate button on our website. For other ways to help please get in touch.
Steering GroupEmily Engel
Marion Scott
Anna Nelson
Julia Hodgkins
Louise Clarke
Rachel Bycroft
Governance
TrusteesWalter Merricks (Chair)
Jane Ellis
Nick Comer-Calder
David Wolffe
Caroline Spencer
Office
OfficeNina Barnsley - Network Manager
Olivia Montuschi - Practice Consultant
With support from Caroline and Lucia
and other occasional volunteer helpers.
154 Caledonian Road, London N1 9RD020 7278 2608 • [email protected] • dcnetwork.org
