Events and conferences
Women’s and girls’ organisations are using innovative, impactful strategies to raise awareness of some of the most pressing issues of our time. Throughout history, these organisations have been a crucial part of feminist and social justice struggles at local, regional and national levels. They are catalysing change, working on issues such as ending period poverty, changing the asylum system, advocating for flexible working, and reimagining how the media reports on sexual violence.
The women’s and girls’ organisations we funded through Voices from the Frontline used a huge range of creative tools to influence the change they want to see in the world – be it through art, music, sport, or using communications materials such as online petitions, social media, blogging, or print.
“Empowering women in Bristol to influence the agenda around health and wellbeing was the aim of our Visible Women event. Women who attended told us it was amazing to be able to celebrate and nurture our work as an organisation while connecting with others they didn’t know existed. That’s what was great about the event. It was a platform for larger organisations to meet smaller ones who might need advice or support. We reached around 100 women, 50 were able to attend and the other 50 joined a wider city network to support partnership work.”
“There are still half a million young women out of work, including 377,000 who are written off as ‘economically inactive’. Often the young women we call ‘inactive’ are working for free, looking after children and other family members – and propping up society. We invited 14 young women aged between 18 and 30 to attend an event to explore the reasons and solutions around behind. Our aim was for these women to share their experiences and feel empowered by speaking out. Attendees told us they felt listened to, empowered, and able to work together and build friendships.”
— Young Women’s Trust
“Funding helped us to create a film that showcases five ‘sheroes’ in the Enfield community, which included a volunteer, community leader, local official, coach and an Olympic athlete. We wanted to showcase the positivity going on in Enfield and the stories of the women we filmed. We also held a girls-only group to give girls a really fun, safe space to express themselves and topped it off with a ladies’ day. This was a celebration event and chance to get pampered with beauty workshops, Pilates, aromatherapy massages, food, drink, music and much more. It gave us the chance to get together and celebrate the film and the impact funding had on these women. The film reached thousands of people and had a direct effect on many.”
— Enfield Young People’s Services
The Happy Baby Community was determined to be a community-led, grassroots charity. Rosa helped us to begin this process, by covering the costs and facilitation of the programme.
– The Happy Baby Community
Our ‘Pay Back the Tampon Tax’ campaign urged the government to make sure specialist women’s charities receive Tampon Tax money in the future.
– Women’s Resource Centre
“Reclaiming public spaces where women feel the most unsafe was a big focus of our project. Our Voices from the Frontline grant funded three ‘craftivism’ workshops and three Reclaim the Night marches that brought together 350 women across Devon to tackle sexual harassment.”
– Devon Rape Crisis
“At the Parliament Project we inspire, empower and encourage women to run for political office in the UK. We used our grant to run workshops in four locations across the UK to demystify the process of standing for election for young women. More than 150 women came along to our events in Bristol, Canterbury, London and Portsmouth. One attendee stood for elected office in the council elections after joining one of our workshops. All of the women are now a part of our community and our online peer support circles, which is the next stage of personal development preparing women to stand for elected office.”
— The Parliament Project
A grassroots activism project to challenge injustice experienced by families with no recourse to public funds. After making an official complaint to the Mayor of Newham, the Magpie Project has been invited to help steer an All Party Parliamentary Group on NRFP and Section 17. The grant will pay for workshops to train women at the Magpie Project in public speaking, parliamentary processes, influencing and advocacy. Costs covered will include venue hire, trainer fees, travel, lunches and creche costs.
— Enfield Young People’s Services
“Our Disabled Women’s Voices from the Frontline event gave disabled women the chance to get together and discuss shared experiences of the barriers they face. Funding paid for us to make it happen, including hiring a room and paying for a training session with BSL interpreters. We wanted to train the women in how to address these barriers. The 30 women who came to our event reflected disabled women from incredibly diverse backgrounds. We’ve already seen positive outcomes from the event. One women felt so empowered after our Disabled Women’s Voices from the Frontline event that she went on to speak as a panellist at another international conference. Another will be sharing her experiences in an international anthology.”