It’s 1976. Meet Kim Lavely and Douglas Whitewright: two team members at MSI’s first clinic in London.
They’re in their mid-twenties. MSI co-founder Tim Black is leading the charge and working with him is unlike anything they’ve experienced – the pace of innovation is dizzying and thrilling. There’s media commotion about abortion and protesters at the front door.
The staff’s pride in supporting women’s reproductive choices is abuzz; an energy and belief that will take hold and grow this organisation to support millions of women worldwide.
For MSI’s 50th anniversary, we asked Kim and Douglas to recall these early experiences and what they think about it all now:
On how you found yourself at MSI –
KIM:
I was a young woman who had to look after my own sexual and reproductive health at a time when information was scarce and abortion was banned in the US, where I lived until 1974. While at university, I worked for Planned Parenthood and helped set up a student-led sexual health centre.
I knew someone involved in the MSI clinic opening in London and that’s how I ended up as MSI’s first clinic manager. It was just a single clinic then. I really had no idea that over the next 12 years I’d become director of services for a large and growing number of clinics across the UK.
DOUGLAS:
I was a rather naïve 26-year-old who worked in finance and wasn’t quite sure what an abortion was – let alone its impact. Nevertheless, I took a chance at interviewing for the accountant job at the clinic, jumping in with both feet, somewhat terrified. I got to work and it didn’t take long for me to be convinced I’d made the right move.
On working with MSI’s co-founder Tim Black –
KIM:
Tim was this whip-smart, accomplished doctor walking around in a blue suit and cowboy boots! His vision was bigger than the sky and he was go-go-go in pursuing it.
I remember working incredibly hard, running to keep up with his ideas. While we started primarily as a clinic for women’s family planning, when Tim saw clients needing abortion he was determined that we start providing abortion services. He also decided that we should offer vasectomies, asking ‘why should women carry all the responsibility?’. He championed nurses getting the opportunity to provide services as well as doctors – MSI was one of the first places to do that.
He was as creative as he was unpredictable, constantly scanning for new things to do and new ways of doing things. He taught me how to look at everything from a new perspective.
DOUGLAS:
Tim had around three big ideas a day, then would seriously consider a handful of them every week, then would fearlessly try out the ones that stuck – what an inspiring man.
Every day was exciting. We started opening new clinics here, there and everywhere. Tim would come in and put paperwork on my desk saying, ‘we’re buying this clinic – you deal with the details!’. I’d put my financial hat on and make it work.
Occasionally we’d get people saying, ‘you can’t do that’ and Tim would respond, ‘we’re doing it’.
I remember him advocating for ‘lunchtime abortions’ and boy did the media leap on that one. Tim was also quick to jump on new innovations like introducing medical abortion, so women could have the choice between pills or surgery. This was revolutionary.
His whole ethos was to make reproductive healthcare as easy, simple, accessible, and stress-free as possible.
On the frenetic early years –
KIM:
We did things differently from day one. MSI wasn’t interested in the traditional doctor-patient relationship with hidden notes on file and paternalistic care. When clients came in, our receptionists would hand them their personal health record and notes to take into their appointment so they could discuss them openly with the nurse or doctor. It baffled people at first. Over time though, people started to appreciate the openness and that they were being treated as active participants in their own healthcare.
Our clinic offered family planning, cervical smear tests and well-women check-ups at the start, but before long we were opening new clinics, abortion surgeries, franchising, and teaching people across the UK to use Tim’s streamlined vasectomy method. We had clinics set up with catering and all, as at that time women were mandated to stay overnight after an abortion. It was stressful and unnecessary after a simple procedure. We campaigned and got that requirement removed eventually.
DOUGLAS:
This was a place where decisions were made. We didn’t spend months pondering over something or deliberating by committee, we’d just do it. It was energising.
I remember one day we had an enormous legacy donation come out of the blue including properties and cash – which undoubtedly helped MSI expand our services for more women. The legacy was left by a man who wasn’t on our mailing list, whose family didn’t know he had any connection to us. It was a reminder that our work reached far and wide, that it rippled out to quietly and deeply affect people’s lives.
Of course, not everyone was supportive. Protesters would stand outside and tell us we’d burn in hell. I had anonymous phone calls threatening my safety. Once, a couple of protesters padlocked themselves to an operating table and the fire brigade had to cut them loose with bolt-cutters. Another time, someone sprinkled a police officer with ‘holy water’ and was arrested on the spot. My colleague used to go outside and give the protesters a cup of tea – nothing angered them more than that!
But it was certainly not great for our clients. I’m so glad there are now safe zones around UK abortion clinics, banning this sort of harassment.
On changing lives across the world –
KIM:
I saw MSI’s one clinic grow into many across the UK, and then across the world.
I was excited to see our international work firsthand when I had the chance to go to Sri Lanka and India to visit the clinics, and what a privilege it was to meet the professionals there. Our international programmes faced a myriad of different challenges yet were always running clinical services of the utmost quality.
I was also impressed with the concept of social marketing in the field of reproductive healthcare. By that I mean selling products like contraceptives in markets across the world, hugely increasing women’s access to these choices.
DOUGLAS:
Imagine seeing your workplace grow from a tiny organisation employing 20 people to one of the biggest organisations in reproductive health globally. What a whirlwind!
Tim said we were initiators. We partnered with countries to help set up their own MSI operations, and they would then hire locally and run their own programmes. The people I met in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kenya and Zimbabwe, for example, were always phenomenally dedicated and persevered while working in sometimes very difficult conditions, like weeks-long power outages.
The challenges were different, the cultures were different, but no matter what it has always been about choice. If you don’t want children, not a problem, we can help you avoid getting pregnant. If you want six children, not a problem, we can give you the opportunity to space them out on your own timeline.
People everywhere rallied around our cause. Governments started to partner with us to fund this international development work, seeing its value. We grew and started to reach millions of women and families.
On how MSI shaped the rest of your life –
KIM:
I didn’t intend to stay at MSI for 12 years but I simply loved being there. I felt pride in the work. With access to reproductive healthcare, women have much-needed control over their lives. That’s certainly true for me – I’ve been able to lead a full, happy life and build the career for myself that I wanted.
My time at MSI set the foundation for the rest of my career and life. It opened doors for me. But beyond myself, I think it has shaped how healthcare is provided: it set an example of quality care while also prioritising simplicity and ease, normalising nurses providing services, normalising abortion. Steadily women’s healthcare became less of a stressful or secretive thing.
If I could give a piece of advice to anyone in healthcare, especially those working at MSI today, I’d say ‘be like Tim’. And by that, I mean don’t accept the status quo – look at everything from different angles.
DOUGLAS:
It’s hard to believe I was at MSI for 30 years. Time went fast because we never stood still.
I loved working for an organisation that has had such a positive impact on people’s lives.
And personally, working there was an education for me in so many ways. For a long time Tim Black and I were the only men on the team! My colleagues were open, honest and would say it as they saw it. One of those colleagues – a nurse and midwife called Anne – became my wife! I have a lot to thank MSI for, as we celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary last year.
After MSI, Kim went on to build an impressive career in business operations, always choosing to work for companies that combined corporate and non-profit impact. She found a love of travelling the world, and lives in London with her dog Vito.
Douglas spent most of his career at MSI before doing consultancy work. He keeps busy in his retirement as a volunteer making weekly visits to schools with his therapy dog and is about to embark on his 15th safari in Africa with his wife Anne.
Kim and Douglas remain friends to this day.
Huge thanks to Kim Lavely and Douglas Whitewright for sharing their memories with us for MSI’s 50th anniversary.
Today, MSI continues to expand access to reproductive choices globally – we’ve reached nearly 300 million women. Donate to support MSI’s international programmes to reach people who still don’t have access to this essential healthcare.
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