The EPT online forum is one of the most popular areas of our website.
Since it was first set up over 15 years ago, our forum has had:
- Over 1 million visits to our online forum per year
- Over 20,000 people have taken the time to sign up to an account, while millions more have chosen to remain anonymous
- … and over 40,000 individual topics of conversation, with many many more replies and reactions to each one
“I have found a lot of solace and hope on your forums lately that’s really helped. It's nice to know I'm not alone.” - Kayleigh
As a digital space, our forum is open to all - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year… and our team works hard to ensure that the online forum is a safe space to support each other.
It is a huge way by which we at The EPT can deliver our promise that no matter who you are, where you come from, and what your experience of ectopic pregnancy is, your feelings are valid and you are not alone.
“I wanted to just thank you so much, your forums honestly got me through my surgery and recovery, as a 23-year-old with no family around me at the time, it really was a lifesaver so I just wanted to personally thank you for creating such a fantastic space.” – anon
We know that our forum is a lifeline for a lot of people - but we also know that it is in desperate need of an upgrade.
- The technology that it has been built on is very out of date
- It doesn’t work brilliantly on mobile phones
- … and currently the wonderfully supportive conversations we are hosting are not getting picked up by Google and other search engines. This means that people who are searching for information and support are not always finding this valuable online community.
We relaunched our website just over two years ago and now we need to bring the forum up to date and current. In this, our 25th year, we are looking ahead to make our future services the very best they can be!
One of our brilliant volunteers, Kiran, has already been working with our website team on how the new forum will work. She has also asked people who have used the forum for suggestions on how to make the forum better.
With all the prep work done - we now need to build it - and we’re aiming to fundraise a massive £40,000 to do this!
As a charity, we must ensure that the money donated to this campaign is used to improve our forum experience.
Any money raised from this campaign will be used to do the following work:
- Design of the new forum layout and pages
- Software costs for the new forum technology we will use and any customisation we need to set it up
- Ongoing technical support and rapid response for the forum for a minimum of 5 years
- Security measures to ensure that the forum remains a safe space to be whilst also being found by search engines like Google
- Training for our brilliant volunteer forum moderators
- Awareness activity to get the message out there that this safe space exists
“As the leading charity in supporting all that are affected by ectopic pregnancy, we know that lots of people look to the internet for answers, information, and support. Our forum has been brilliant in helping people so far, but we know we can do more. This new forum will be game-changing for us as an organisation - helping us to reach more people, in a safe, secure way that goes a huge way in making them know that they’re not alone.” Munira Oza, Director- The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust
There are many ways to help us reach our target.
- Donate online - whether it’s £4 or £40 - any donation directly on this JustGiving page makes a huge difference
- Buy from our shop - we’ve launched specific shop product bundles on our website that include a £40k for FORUM donation
- Corporate donations - business owners and teams can either donate directly to this JustGiving page or contact our corporate team via corporate@ectopic.org.uk
- Spread the word! A share is worth its weight in gold. By simply sharing our campaign with others on your social channels, you will be making a massive difference
Anyone who donates via the JustGIving page will get regular updates from the team behind the scenes of the forum rebuild project.
We’ll be posting regular updates each month of how the fundraiser is going, milestones reached and of course if we hit our target, the project itself!
Videos of the designers and developers at work will be shared throughout 2024, as well as sneak previews of the new forum online and then some wonderful exclusive launch content.
Have that amazing feeling of knowing that you are part of helping those whose lives have been touched by ectopic pregnancy.
The trauma of an ectopic pregnancy does not immediately end when someone walks out of hospital. The days afterwards are just the start of what can often be a long recovery process. The physical and emotional impact and ongoing need for information and support can last months or years. With your help, the new forum will provide that crucial comforting space in someone’s time of need. Thank you for making a difference!
* Charities pay a small fee for our service. Find out how much it is and what we do for it.
