Top prize at Charity Awards 2022 for Miscarriage Matters

As well as winning the top prize in the Campaigning & Advocacy category, our Miscarriage Matters campaign was named overall winner by this year’s judges for convincing the government to change its health policy on miscarriage.

Last week, Miscarriage Matters was also recognised by the public relations industry as the Best Not-for-Profit Campaign at this year’s CIPR Excellence Awards. 

About Miscarriage Matters

Our National Centre for Miscarriage Research undertook a five-year study that laid bare the devastating impacts of miscarriage in a series of three articles published in April 2021 in The Lancet. 

This paved the way for a multi-pronged national campaign to inspire policy change that is expected to transform care for thousands of families and save thousands of babies’ lives. 

Our Miscarriage Matters research has debunked the long-held myth that miscarriage is just one of those things, an unavoidable part of the pregnancy journey. 

And thanks to our campaign, it’s hoped that in future all miscarriages will be recorded and counted, and women will not have to wait until they have miscarried three times before they can access support, tests or treatment, as they do currently.  

Lizzie D'Angelo, Tommy's Marketing Director said:

"When a third miscarriage is a relief, it's clear the system is broken. Tommy's mission is to make sure miscarriage is seen as a public health issue, not as something which is unpreventable or inevitable. Only then can we change the story for the 250,000 people a year who experience this heartbreak. 

"Winning the Overall Award for Excellence at the Charity Awards is an incredible recognition of our work so far. Thanks to the passion of our researchers, employee team and supporters, we are working together to create change so anyone who experiences a miscarriage has the best possible care and support.”

Views from the judges

Su Sayer, chair of the Charity Awards judges, said:  

“We were bowled over by this amazing work and the fact that every aspect of this campaign was so carefully thought through. What really struck home to me was that as a result, far fewer women will lose their babies before they reach full term, and there will be far-reaching and ongoing support to those who sadly do suffer the loss of an unborn child. Thank you, Tommy’s, for a brilliant campaign.” 

Charity Awards judge Chris Sherwood, chief executive of the RSPCA, said that Miscarriage Matters was “rooted in evidence and case studies, engaged celebrities, convened a lot of people and told a story about an unmet need. It is tackling a taboo, getting us to talk about something that we tend to shy away from as a society.” 

Awards judge Paul Streets, chief executive of Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales, praised our use of data and human stories to bust myths, and commended us for raising awareness of the previously unrecognised inequalities around miscarriage that are suffered by Black and ethnic minority families.  

Alongside nine other category winners, we were presented with our trophies at a ceremony on 16 June, hosted by broadcaster, commentator and writer Ayesha Hazarika. 

The Charity Awards shortlist is chosen by an independent panel of expert judges, who are all eminent figures in the charity sector. Matt Nolan, chief executive of Civil Society Media which organises the Charity Awards said: 

“The standard of entries this year was as high as ever, despite the challenges that the sector has faced during the pandemic – so Tommy’s should be very proud to have won their category. Their campaign has delivered great results that will save lives and transform outcomes for thousands of families each year."

You can read more about our award-winning campaign on the Charity Awards website.