What is it called when businesses contribute to charity?

The charity was originally called Women in Special Hospitals and Prison Psychiatric Units. This was later shortened to Women in Secure Hospitals as the charity moved towards supporting women in medium and low secure units as well as the three High Secure Hospitals. In 2008 following a consultation with members, the charity changed its name to Wish, with the tagline A voice for women's mental health to reflect its status as the only national organisation for women's mental health and its increasing work with women in the community.

The first office was based in London, initially serving Broadmoor and HMP Holloway, and over time branches were set up in the Midlands to serve Rampton and in the North to serve Ashworth. The women's services at Ashworth and Broadmoor have since closed, resulting in more women being moved to lower, more appropriate, levels of security. Wish's work to emphasise the importance of gender and the different needs of women contributed to the Department of Health strategy for women's mental health, titled Into the Mainstream.

Today, Wish works with women at all levels of security, as well as in prisons and in the community. Over two decades after it was founded, Wish is now returning to its campaigning roots, as well as continuing to provide independent advocacy and emotional support to women with mental health needs in secure settings and in the community.