Letter: Abortion: time to speak out for a right women thought they had won

Sir: Imogen Caterer (letter, 4 December), seems to suggest that pro-lifers do not value single mothers. Is she unaware of all the caring work carried out quietly by Life and other such organisations year in and year out? Life helps thousands of women every year providing follow- up care for many unsupported mothers, material help including baby clothes and equipment, and accommodation in over 50 Life houses.

Life's philosophy is defined as "respect for every human life from conception until natural death" and so covers categories she mentions such as the disabled. Of course Life would like to campaign on wider issues than abortion, and does so wherever possible, but unlike the abortion services, pro-life groups receive no government funding, and there is a limit to what can be done by unpaid volunteers. Therefore the focus has to be on the crisis of 4 million unborn babies having been legally destroyed in this so-called civilised country. That is enough to be going on with.

JEAN PAYNE

Hereford Life Group