Executive summary:

• There is a massive increase in the demand being placed on women and girls’ services. This can only be met through an increase in the available funding.
• Existing services are achieving greater equity for women and girls by being present in communities and developing relationships.
• There are many good examples of partnership working and opportunities for more. However, whilst this can provide better services, it is not necessarily a cheap option as services still need to cover their core costs.
• Funders can help by being more flexible with their funding and making monitoring and evaluation requirements proportionate with the grant. More visits by funders to projects would be both welcome and valuable.
• It is important to listen and understand the needs of minoritised groups. There are particular challenges around the support offered to Trans women; there should be an open and honest conversation about how these could be addressed.

Performance

Georgia May, a neo-soul vocalist, born and raised in Newcastle, performed three original songs.

Introduction

Lisa Goodwin (Chief Executive, Connected Voice) welcomed everyone and explained the purpose of networking events, encouraged everyone to visit the stalls, and then introduced the panel.

Panel discussion

Panel members:

• Elaine Slater (ES), Chief Executive of Tyneside Women’s Health and Connected Voice Trustee, working on women’s mental health issues.
• Sally Hamilton (SH), Community Safety Team at Newcastle City Council, working to tackle violence against women and girls.
• Mymona Bibi (MB): ESOL Teacher, poet and workshop facilitator, representing Brown Girls Write.
• Joanne Joplin (JJ): Chief Executive Young Women’s Outreach Project, supporting young women age 11-19.
• Helen Boyd (HB): Centre Manager at Smart Works, employability charity providing women with confidence coaching and clothing. 72% of women they support have got the job.

Question 1: In your experience what are the pressing issues facing women and girls services at the minute?

ES: Funding plus lack of understanding about why services are needed. Massively increasing demand from people with multiple needs: addiction, agoraphobia, cost of living, violence.

SH: The same as ES.

MB: Women and girls don’t have enough social spaces to practice language and develop confidence.

JJ: Young people disengaged with school, made to feel it’s their fault that they’re behind in their studies leading to mental health problems. Agoraphobia.

HB: Funding. Getting service users to the centre given increasing travel costs.

 

Question 2: Today’s theme is #EmbraceEquity. Can you highlight some effective practices that have helped work towards equity for women and girls?

SH: The Angelou Centre is a good example, providing specialised support for ethnically minoritised women.

MB: Providing a space where women can come and do the things they used to at home but can’t now as they no longer have access to the materials (knitting, sewing etc.). This provides opportunities to talk in an environment that feels like home. It’s important to ask what women want to do as well as what they can do, and then try and link the two together.

JJ: High rates of teenage pregnancies lead to women becoming isolated in their own homes. Bringing them together enables them to find a community of shared experiences. By building trusting relationships, project staff can be affirming and challenge norms as well as facilitate friendships and a sense of community. There is a need to educate young men too, and not enough is being done in this area.

HB: Staff go out to speak to women in their communities making sure women know the service is there. They also provide a virtual service, which isn’t ideal but it’s the next best thing and has enabled them to expand their reach.

ES: Educating young men is a massive gap. The project is also seeing more women with ADHD and ASD, and is trying to respond to that. There is a need to engage with a diverse network but the demands of the day-to-day work can prevent this.

 

Question 3: Working together can be tricky, but how can we do this to better support women and girls?

ES: Sharing facilities: if the people MB is working with want to come and practice conversation in the centre, they would be welcome!

SH: Making sure services are doing what they were set up to do; making sure funding is available across the city.

MB: Important to know what other services are offering so you can refer your service users. Knowledge of different services can also give people a better sense of where they live and help them grow in confidence.

JJ: We’re well connected. For example, we have invited other organisations to come and hot desk in their building e.g. Children North East and Rape Crisis. Need to reach out and connect to see what others do; but service users- young people in particular- feel vulnerable and won’t go to new places, so you need to go with them to begin with. Be truthful and work together- it saves a lot of money and provides better services.

HB: Collaboration is a game changer. Smart Works set up career coaching in collaboration with The Girls Network so women and girls could gain work experience and benefit from coaching. Be creative around your remit and explore what is beneficial to both partners.

MB: Tell each other what works and what doesn’t work. Learn from each other. For example, Brown Girls Write has shown their model really works- the exclusivity of the group has proved to be really inclusive, and is something that could be replicated.

 

Question 4: If you could have one thing to help women and girls, what would it be?

Unlimited and unrestricted funding! We’re creative and can think of 1000 things to do if we had the money.

Providing a one-stop shop where people can come and get whatever they need.

Additional funding could improve services for women and girls across the board, for example by providing specialist services in key areas of the city.

 

Question 5: Is there anything else that funders can be doing to support organisations’ work with women and girls?

ES: Listen to us as we know what women need. Make monitoring realistic and appropriate. The North of Tyne Combined Authority and the Integrated Care Board provide opportunities for funding. How can we influence their decision making?

SH: Funders can be rigid in that they give money to the same organisations all the time. This means that other good services can be missed. There is a need to be open in way funding is offered.

MB: Funders need to build relationships with people their money is helping. They need to come and see the work in action!

HB: Each funding application is very different. Can there be a standardised application form for all charities? Forms could also be made more accessible for people with dyslexia and other issues.

JJ: Funders already talk to each other, share resources and work in partnership so organisations can fund projects from multiple sources. They do a really good job and do come into our project to see what’s going on. It shouldn’t all be on the funders: organisations need to think differently about how they can get more to benefit service users! In any case, services should be statutory.

ES: Partnerships aren’t cheaper as everyone still needs to meet their core costs. The Community Foundation have a really good application and monitoring process, which offers a good model.

 

Question 6: How can organisations educate themselves in the backgrounds of young girls and women, such a refugees?

SH: By going out to communities and meeting people, assessing their needs, and constantly doing the background work.

MB: Come to meetings and events 10 minutes early and leave 10 minutes late, just to listen and learn from the people who are there- what’s concerning them and what they need.

JJ: Listening. Since COVID Jewish girls are coming into our building, as well as the Turkish community. Both of these things have happened by listening to people’s needs. This also means that any misconceptions can be challenged.

HB: Coaching packs made up in different languages. Book extra time for sessions if English isn’t the 1^st language of the person being coached.

 

Question 7: How do you support people who are LGBTQ+. Have you come across difficulties in including Trans women in your services and making them feel welcome?

HB: Smartworks is for anyone who identifies as a woman or non-binary. Everyone is made to feel welcome. Whilst we traditionally provide women’s clothing, we try to make services as accessible as possible.

JJ: We support the LGBTQIA+ group in Gateshead. Our doors are open to everyone and we try to find the best place for people according to their needs.

HB: Huge challenge providing support for Trans community, especially if they haven’t fully transitioned. It’s difficult to place a Trans women in a women’s refuge as they have to think about everyone’s vulnerability. There’s a gap in services that they’re looking at how to fill.

ES: Anyone who identifies as a women is welcome. In the past they’ve had some safeguarding issues with particular individuals. There needs to be an open and honest conversation about the challenges.

 

Break- with stalls from The Millin Charity, The Girls Network, Success4All, The National Lottery, Smart Works, Connected Voice Volunteering, Newcastle Women’s Aid

National Lottery Community Funding Learning Pack - "How women's projects combat disadvantage and transform lives"

Ceri McGhee was unable to join us due to illness. However, the learning pack is available to view here.

Poetry from Brown Girls Write

Emma Wallace, programme manager for participation and young people at New Writing North

They work in 4 secondary schools and 2 primary schools, and also offer open access groups for anyone to try creative writing- prose and poetry. The groups are relaxed, inclusive, and mutually supportive. In addition, they run community programmes in Newcastle and Gateshead including Brown Girls Write, founded as a creative space where women could connect with other women from a similar background. They have produced an anthology, containing the poems listed below.

Ilisha Thiru Purcell read two of her poems, ‘Germination’ and ‘Anonymity’

Mymona Bibi read her poem ‘Cake Rusks’.

Feedback

Emma invited everyone to contribute feedback about today’s event in the form of a Haiku.

You can find examples of these Haiku’s in the images below.

Closing announcements

Please see our training and events programme at https://connectedvoice.org.uk/our-programme.

All our members are invited to come to the AGM on 25^th April. Details can be found here.

The Connected Voice Funding Fair is on 21^st June, bringing funders together in one place. Details can be found here.

Next meeting of Newcastle and Gateshead Women and Girls’ Network is on 25^th March. Please contact sara.chezari@connectedvoice.org.uk for more information.

Next meeting of Gateshead Youth and Community Network on 7^th March. Please contact sara.chezari@connectedvoice.org.uk for more information.