Training & Support We Provide
Voices from the Frontline resources grassroots activism that tackles the root causes of inequality and injustice. Education is key to this work because people can’t advocate for change on issues they don’t fully understand.
The more people know about an issue, the more likely they are to join a collective drive to challenge it. We recognise that activism and advocacy happen in lots of different ways and campaigns evolve over years, gaining new allies along the way. The groups we support are working at every stage of the campaigning process – from training their activists in lobbying or public speaking, to hosting workshops that educate and influence wider society. All of the organisations are experts in their own experience and have the skills, agency and expertise to create lasting change.
“Women experience many types of violence in their lives as a result of their surroundings. We ran workshops for BME women who had stopped their education because of the types of violence they experienced. The workshops aimed to uplift women’s voices and help them share their experiences with young girls to strengthen them in return. The success of the project has increased the number of women and girls in Dynamic Support of Greater Manchester for assistance. Women and girls who took part gained access to health information and resources which has improved their health knowledge, the project creates a network that reduces isolation. Above all, it increased their confidence.”
“Our Voices from the Frontline grant helped us host workshops for Black and minoritised women and girls aged 12-21 from low-income backgrounds in east London. A total of 80 women joined our two workshops. The first was called For F’s Sake and focused on unpicking women’s financial lives in a very relatable way. It was a super exciting event for everyone. From good debt and bad debt to applying for student loans or pay rises, the session helped to equip women with the practical skills to live independently. Next we hosted a financial career workshop, which was more intimate and focused on one-to-one development. Women were able to spend an hour or two breaking down their CVs and getting advice from a professional. The grant also allowed us to create downloadable documents to complement both of the sessions. This, in turn, encouraged more women to find us and reach out.”
— WomenAfterGreatness
“We used our grant to fund a six-week coaching course for 12 South Asian women who have experienced domestic abuse. Our aim was to help these women educate their children to break the cycle of disrespectful and abusive behaviour they experienced. Making the course as engaging as possible was our priority, so we used the grant to pay for an arts facilitator, transformational coach, and lots of arts materials. We delivered these workshops to schools and colleges in Birmingham, with a focus on child sexual exploitation, teenage domestic violence and healthy relationships, and mental health. Four service users were trained in the skills and techniques they needed to develop the workshop. We also created leaflets to accompany them and spread our message. So far it’s been a success and we feel the young people really engaged with the content.”
— Anawim
“We mapped and archived stories of sexual harassment and assault and it became clear that many of these were occurring around venues such as bars, pubs, clubs and festivals.”
– Good Night Out Campaign
“Black and minoritised women experience barriers and social stigma when it comes to accessing support services. We used our grant to launch workshops and a campaign to start tackling those issues.”
– Rivers LPC
“Funding helped us to challenge rape culture and victim-blaming, offer solidarity and raise awareness of our services. It transformed our activism.”
– Rape Crisis Tyneside and Northumberland
“Our workshops helped girls and young women to use social media safely, as well as develop their strengths, goals and leadership skills in our self-esteem workshops. Tackling bullying and abuse is another part of our work. In these sessions, we also focus on helping girls to realise how their actions affect others. Many of the women and girls we work with have been able to escape domestic abuse and achieve safer and more fulfilling lives.”
— P.H.O.E.B.E
“We’re a mother-led organisation that provides practical, social support and advice to mums and children under five living in temporary accommodation in Newham. Our Voices grant funded leadership and media training for our leadership team of 13 mums. All of these women have, at some point, experienced no recourse to public funds. Workshops helped them to develop in public speaking, parliamentary processes, influencing and advocacy. These are all instrumental parts of building leadership and campaigning for change. The sessions encouraged women to represent themselves and their peers in the media and with funders, trustees and the community. Since the training, women have told their stories to BBC News, ITV News, the Huffington Post, and lots more.
“I know that I am entitled to now” one mum said. “I am ready to fight for my children”. This has been a major result of our workshops. Mums feel more confident. The training sometimes challenged them – for example On Road Media asked them to tell their stories on camera, the public speaking workshop asked them to throw their voices and speak clearly. These were not easy things to do. “I never spoke up before” another told us. “Now I am using my voice for the first time.”
As an organisation we always feel on the edge of many different movements, including homelessness, early years, family services, health, and immigration. This is changing as we’re increasingly working in collaboration with organisations like OnRoad Media, Project 17 and the Happy Baby Community. Our leadership team is brilliant start in planning and supporting our services, creating a stronger organisation. Training in women’s legal rights and entitlements from Project 17 was particularly inspirational. It gave women the confidence to assert their rights in meetings with service providers and local MPs. “I would never have been able to talk to my MP a year ago” one mum told us. “I can’t believe I am doing it now thanks to the Magpie Project”.
— The Magpie Project
“25 women joined our conversations about how the Holloway Prison site should be used in future. It’s especially important that women who have been in prison get to have their voices heard about what will happen to the eight-acre site. Funding paid for these women to attend national and international conferences, run and facilitate workshops, and maintain the Holloway Stories website.”
— Reclaim Holloway
“Polygamy is a taboo topic and it’s prevalent in many of the communities we work in, but it’s mostly ignored by society. We launched a campaign to raise awareness of it and strengthen existing law to make polygamous marriages illegal. This involved hosting workshops for women in specific areas, too. Our Voices from the Frontline grant helped us to provide them in Somali, Arabic and Bengali languages. Our aim was to educate women on the UK laws around polygamy and empower them to access services and make healthy relationship choices. Funding also paid for our campaign materials and social media output, which in turn helps us to reach more women. Over the past two years, we’ve provided counselling, welfare advice and guidance on their legal rights. We’ve also held weekly workshops to tackle isolation in a safe and creative environment. From June 2021, we’re starting a joint project with Greenwich University to help communities across London impacted by the issue. All of this amazing work started with our Voices from the Frontline grant.”