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← Memory Solidarity in Action

No one
faces this
alone.

When the state criminalises women for choices made in impossible circumstances, Level Up asks its community to write back. These messages are proof that care can be collective — and that ordinary people refuse to be silent.

1,500+ solidarity messages sent
5 Solidarity campaigns run
1,568+ Individual messages & emails sent
4 Women directly supported
1 Government ministry pressured

Why solidarity messages matter

Criminal prosecution, the death of a child in prison, a harrowing inquest — these events happen inside institutions that are designed to be invisible. The women at the centre of them are often told, implicitly or explicitly, that no one is watching, no one cares.

Solidarity messages break that isolation. They say: we see you, we believe you, you are not carrying this alone. They are a form of witness — and in a movement context, they also build the collective memory that makes sustained campaigning possible.

The Actions

Every time, the community showed up

250+ messages
Criminalisation & Justice 2022 – 2023

For Carla Foster

Carla Foster was prosecuted for self-managing her abortion — an act of private desperation made criminal by an outdated law. When she was sentenced to 28 months in prison, Level Up opened a message tool so the community could write to her directly. Over 250 people did — telling her she was not a criminal, that her choice was valid, that they stood with her.

Carla's sentence was subsequently reduced on appeal. She later described the public support she received as something that sustained her through the darkest period of her life.

318 messages
Pregnancy in Prison January 2022

For Louise Powell

In January 2022, the Prison Ombudsman published its report into the death of baby Brooke at HMP Styal — the baby Louise Powell delivered without medical assistance while imprisoned. Knowing it would be a devastating day for Louise, Level Up built a tool for people to send her messages before the report dropped.

318 people wrote to Louise. Those messages arrived on one of the hardest days imaginable. She has since become a powerful public voice for ending pregnancy in prison.

700+ messages
Pregnancy in Prison May 2023

For Rianna Cleary

In May 2023, the inquest into the death of baby Aisha opened. Aisha was born in Rianna's cell at HMP Bronzefield — Rianna pressed her call bell twice. Nobody came. When the inquest began, Level Up supporters sent over 700 messages of solidarity to Rianna, telling her they were with her as she faced re-living the worst night of her life in a courtroom.

The inquest concluded that serious failings contributed to Aisha's death. Rianna later went public with her support for Level Up's campaign, saying the messages had made her feel visible in a system designed to keep her hidden.

200+ emails
Institutional Pressure February 2025

To the Ministry of Justice

When Channel 4 reported that two women at HMP Bronzefield had been unlawfully handcuffed to male officers during childbirth — for 34 and 48 hours respectively — the Level Up community responded within hours. Using a web tool built for the occasion, over 200 people emailed the Ministry of Justice to demand an independent investigation.

The government subsequently confirmed it would commission an independent investigation into the use of restraints on pregnant women in prison.

100+ messages
Criminalisation & Justice 2023 – 2024

For Katie

Katie faced police investigation and trial for ending a pregnancy using medication prescribed by the NHS — prosecuted under the same Victorian law that imprisoned Carla Foster. When her case became public, Level Up opened a solidarity message tool so the community could write to her directly.

Hundreds of named supporters sent messages — midwives, doctors, retired nurses, parents, and strangers — all saying the same thing: you have done nothing wrong, you are not alone, we are fighting for you.

What people wrote

Words that reached through walls

Over 1,568 messages sent across all actions — each one a signal that no one fights alone. To Carla, to Louise, to Rianna, to Katie, and to the Ministry of Justice: the Level Up community showed up every time, in writing, with care.

Strategy

Solidarity as a campaign tool

01

It reaches the individual

The women at the centre of these cases receive the messages directly. That matters. Knowing that strangers care can be the difference between silence and speaking out.

02

It builds political pressure

When hundreds of people contact a government department in a single day, it signals organised public concern. Institutions notice. Investigations get commissioned.

03

It grows the movement

Every person who sends a message is invested. They share the story. They return for the next action. Solidarity creates commitment — and commitment creates change.

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