About us

The Endometriosis Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to Endometriosis awareness, information, education and support.​ One of the biggest challenges people with Endometriosis face is accessing the right information and care. It is our goal to arm people with transparent, reliable and trusted information to help guide them through their Endometriosis journey.

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Our mission is to create a future where Endometriosis is recognised and understood.

Our vision is a future where everybody with Endometriosis receives the care and support they need, especially those within the later stages of Endometriosis – stages moderate to severe.

What we do

• Raise awareness

• Educate

• Influence legislation

• Contribute to national health guidelines

• Provide a safe and supportive community for all those in need

Our story

Carla Cressy, a former model from Essex, England, suffered from most of the obvious signs of Endometriosis from the age of just 13, but despite multiple visits to her GP and emergency admissions to A&E, for years her symptoms were dismissed by a handful of doctors and wrongly diagnosed with various other conditions.

Carla was officially diagnosed at 25, over a decade after her symptoms started. This late diagnosis impacted much of her adult life, resulting in 8 surgeries including a bladder reconstruction, bowel surgery – resulting in an ileostomy (stoma), and a hysterectomy – taking away the chance of her ever bearing her own child, and forcing her into surgical menopause at just 29 years of age. 

To this very day, Carla has never received any information or support outside of her family and friends.

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As a consequence of her suffering, she decided she wanted to make a difference. She set up an online support group which now helps thousands of people. She began carrying out talks in schools which led her to starting a national campaign to raise awareness of Endometriosis amongst girls in education.

Her campaign was supported by our late, honourable Chair and Trustee Sir David Amess, MP for Southend-West, to which on March 14th, 2018, The Endometriosis All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) was formed and a little over a year later, Endometriosis was included in the school curriculum.

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Sir David Amess discusses setting up The Endometriosis Foundation with his constituent Carla Cressy:

The Endometriosis APPG will seek to raise awareness of Endometriosis, particularly amongst young girls in education, and will look to investigate how those who suffer from the condition can receive the support they need.

​"I was delighted that Carla and her colleagues met a number of MPs who not only emphasised with their condition but were actually suffering themselves. The whole purpose of the newly formed group is to heighten awareness of the disorder, share experiences and encourage support".

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Sir David Amess, Chair of the APPG on Endometriosis

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The endometriosis APPG launched an enquiry in February 2020, collecting evidence from people across the UK highlighting their experiences with endometriosis. The key goal was to reduce the time it takes to be diagnosed which currently takes on average 7 years. This is unacceptable. 

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The report also found that prior to getting a diagnosis:

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• A shocking 58% visited their GP more than 10 times

• 43% visited doctors in hospital over 5 times

• 53% visited A&E

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Once diagnosed, just 19% knew whether or not they were seen in an endometriosis specialist centre, and 90% would have liked access to psychological support.

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Sir David Amess discusses the Endometriosis APPG and 2020 enquiry:

We need you.

A condition as common as diabetes should not take 8 YEARS to diagnose.

As a small charity, we rely solely on the generosity of the public to help further our cause. 

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Together we can make a difference.