Charity bringing endometriosis into the spotlight is honoured with an award in Portsmouth

Endometriosis South Coast, an inclusive charity set up to help people with endometriosis and adenomyosis, was named Health Innovation of the Year at the first Innovation Awards.

The awards, organised by The News, took place on Thursday at the Village Hotel in Portsmouth.

The charity was honoured in the category, after judges – including from category sponsor Portsmouth City Council – were impressed by the way it has brought the conditions into the digital age.

They heard that through doing her PhD research on how endometriosis care differs in different sample groups of patients, founder Jodie Hughes contacted local mental health services to secure endometriosis a space onto the long-term health conditions pathway and get it recognised as a condition that has a negative impact on mental health.

This research has also shown that there is a huge impact on health-related quality of life on many people across the gender spectrum.

The charity has worked hard to create an inclusive space for all people with the condition, regardless of race, gender, or religion.

The judges said: ‘The company has been created by incredibly committed women and has an excellent website. It is really innovative and different. It started as one woman in Havant but has grown, looking at the stories and the passion behind it - that’s the innovation.’

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Founder Jodie collected the award at the ceremony along with her colleague Steph Moss and Kate Dunston.

Jodie said: ‘These conditions are things that everyone should know about. They affect one in 10 people, the same as diabetes, yet people are not aware of them.

‘This award means a lot, thank you to my team. They are amazing.’