In 2019 the surrogacy community came together to start National Surrogacy Week in the UK. Its aims are "...to be an independent resource to raise awareness, educate the public and to celebrate good practice."
This is something Calon Law believes in whole-heartedly. Only by educating the wider public can we dispel many of the misconceptions and myths people have about surrogacy.
Our owners, Charlene and Stephen, have been through a successful surrogacy journey themselves so understand how tough it can be. Although it wasn't the easiest of journeys it was well worth it in the end, welcoming our son this year. However we have experienced many negative comments over the years from strangers. These comments can range from the harmless questions from friends, who just misunderstand surrogacy, to the hurtful comments from strangers. This can be very upsetting when a total stranger makes these comments as it can leave Intended Parents (IPs) feeling judged for wanting a family. Many of these couples have also been through traumatic experiences leaving them needing help to complete their family.
This is where organisations like National Surrogacy Week come into their own by helping to educate the wider public. Only by doing this can people understand that surrogacy is not some underground, illegal or exploitative process where the surrogate is taken advantage of. It is an entirely legal way of starting a family, and the surrogate is protected from exploitation, especially when the journey is part of Surrogacy UK.
There are also 4 awards being given this year to reward those who have gone above and beyond to help those involved in a surrogacy journey. The awards are:
Surrogacy Clinic of the Year
Surrogacy Professional of the Year
Surrogacy Organisation, Agency or Group of the Year
Outstanding Contribution to Surrogacy
Our Director of Legal Services, Charlene Ash, won the Surrogacy Professional of the Year award last year which was an incredible achievement for the first year of practicing for Calon Law. We look forward to continuing to support this organisations aims and we are excited to see the results of the nominations soon. Good luck Charlene!
