This year, Acorn celebrated our 30th Anniversary.  We held a special event on Saturday 29th March at the River of Life Church, Broadwater Road, Worthing, where Acorn originally had an office.

A Brief History

In 1995, a group of people saw a need to offer emotional support to women facing unintended (or “unplanned”) pregnancy. The approach was to recognise that these women needed love and care, rather than a simple focus on whether or not to continue the pregnancy. Acorn offered these women time and space to consider all the options and arrive at their own decisions.

This remains the focus of our work, which has since developed to include counselling for those affected by pregnancy loss such as miscarriage, and to offer the service to partners as well.

Alongside this work, a program of school sessions was created to give young people the opportunity to discuss and understand issues around pregnancy, and the choices they may one day face. When we started, we were based in an office at a church in the town centre, but soon managed to rent our own office off Warwick Street, Worthing. Finally in 2020 we moved to a modern office and counselling room in Pilgrim House, West Worthing, which is where we are now, and is a warm and welcoming space, ideal for our needs.

Our Celebration

We were joined by present and former team members and supporters.   We were joined by the wonderful accapella ensemble “No Strings Attached” as well as Worthing’s Town Crier Bob Smytherman. Our Patron, Dr Tim Fooks, spoke at the event: