Sister Supporter are a British advocacy group who campaign for the introduction of buffer zones around abortion clinics.[1] The group also runs a hotline to gather information about harassment by anti-abortion protestors outside of clinics.[2]
The group was founded in late-2015 in Ealing, in response to harassment by anti-abortion campaigners outside of the local MSI Reproductive Choices clinic.[3] In 2018, after two years of campaigning, the group successfully got the local authority to introduce a buffer zone using a public spaces protection order, the first buffer zone to be implemented in the UK.[4] Following implementation of the buffer zone, reported cases of harassment against the clinic's staff and patients dropped significantly.[5]
In July 2022, the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council announced that it would be launching a public consultation on introducing a buffer zone around the Bournemouth British Pregnancy Advisory Service clinic following a campaign by the local Sister Supporter branch, including a petition that received over 4000 signatures.[9][10]