By Lynne Miles | 24 June 2009, 14:27

Thousands of Irish women each year are forced to travel to the UK for an abortion, because it is illegal in their own country. This can cost them anything from £400 to £1,500 when the cost of the procedure, travel and board and lodgings are taken into account.

The Abortion Support Network aim to help:

While campaigners fight for the rights of women to have access to safe and
legal abortion in their own countries, the Abortion Support Network will
seek to make their journey a little less of a hardship. Our volunteers will
provide women with a place to stay, a meal, and transportation to and from
the clinic. The Network will begin in London but hopes to expand to
Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, and other areas of England where Irish
women travel. Ultimately, we will also raise funds to help women pay for
the cost of the procedure and travel.

To that end, they’re looking for volunteers: if you have a spare room, a sofa, or even an airbed that you’d be willing to offer to a woman seeking an abortion, get in touch with them on info@abortionsupport.org.uk. If you’re not in one of those cities, or don’t have the space but would like to help, they’re also seeking financial support. There’s more information on their website.