Book lovers invited to our Women’s Book Fair, Saturday 26th May

Derby Women’s Centre will be holding a Women’s Book Fair on Saturday, 26th May between 10am and 2pm to raise funds for our women’s counselling service. There will also be coffee and cake on sale baked by our very own communications officer, Rose. We have hundreds of great books from our former library, so we [...]

Week at Derby Women’s Centre “a valuable experience”

Liz, a student health visitor and midwife, has spent the last week at Derby Women’s Centre to learn more about what services are available for women in and around Derby. We’ve really enjoyed having Liz here this week. Here’s what she has to say about her week here. “Working briefly at Derby Women’s Centre has [...]

Why women only?

A question Derby Women’s Centre staff and volunteers often get asked is: why is the centre just for women? The centre was founded in 1978 to address inequalities faced by women and empower them to lead independent lives. A lot has changed since the 70s, but unfortunately gender inequality persists. Women are at a greater [...]

Derby Women’s Centre garden in bloom

The flowers in the Derby Women’s Centre garden are looking lovely in today’s sunshine. They’ve certainly cheered us up in the office, so we thought we’d share them with you. If you’re particularly green-fingered, have a go at naming the pretty white flower at the bottom of the post.  

Interested in volunteering at the Women’s Centre?

We are currently looking for volunteers to join our small and friendly team and help the centre continue to deliver services to vulnerable women in Derby and Derbyshire. Interested? The roles we have at the moment are a marketing volunteer and a fundraising assistant. Click on the links to find the full role descriptions on the [...]

DWC to run domestic violence drop-in sessions

From 2nd May 2012 DWC will be running bi-monthly drop-in sessions for women who are suffering from domestic abuse. Between 10am and noon, women will be able to come to the centre for support, information and advice on domestic violence and issues such as safe housing or welfare benefits. The sessions will be run by [...]

DWC receives £47,000 grant for debt, benefit, housing and employment advice

Derby Women’s Centre is thrilled to announce that it has won a grant from a £16.8m central government pot. We have received £47,000 from the Advice Services Fund to provide support and guidance on debt, benefits, housing and unemployment problems. The fund – financed by the Office for Civil Society and delivered by the Big [...]

Local group hopes Women’s Centre will be around for many years

A local mental health group has said that it values the support Derby Women’s Centre provides to women with mental health problems and hopes that it will be around for many years to come. Niki Glazier and Phil Binding, coordinators of the Mental Health Action Group (MHAG), have written to the Derby Telegraph to express delight at [...]

First Steps to host a charity ball

Our friends at First Steps Derbyshire are holding a charity ball at Pride Park Stadium on Saturday 7th July, which will feature Howard Webb, the referee from the 2011 World Cup Final. First Steps Derbyshire provide support for individuals whose lives are affected by eating disorders and this extends to family members, as well as [...]

Thank you to our generous supporters, whoever you are!

Over the weekend we received a donation of £50 through our MyDonate page, boosting the amount raised for our fundraising appeal to over £1000! We do not know the name of the person that donated, but whoever you are, thank you! And thanks to everyone else who has donated, however small the amount. Without your support we [...]

DWC proud owners of 4 Leopold Street

Derby Women’s Centre is pleased to announce that it is now the proud owner of 4 Leopold Street, Derby. Derbyshire County Council recently transferred the property into our ownership through the community asset transfer initiative, which allows local councils to help local community groups and voluntary sector organisations take on responsibility for buildings or land in their [...]

Debt and benefits support back by popular demand

 Back by popular demand, our debt and benefit support service will be running again on Fridays between 10am and noon. We are now offering 4 half hour appointments each week with a debt and benefits support worker, who will help women struggling to cope with debt and benefits issues. This might include help drawing up early debt repayment plans, preventing [...]

And the winner is …

The votes have been counted, and we can now reveal that the winner of our You Decide poll, where you decided which course DWC would run next, is the creativity course, which took 37.5% of the vote. The course starts today at 1pm, but you can drop by to next week’s session if you can’t make it this [...]

Mystery donation boosts fundraising appeal to £979

DWC has raised £979 in a recent fundraising appeal for counselling – £179 over the £800 target - thanks to an anonymous donation of £500 from a lady who used to have counselling at the centre. A huge thank you to all who donated, whatever the amount! Rose Williams, communications officer, who received the mystery donation, said: “I was opening [...]

DWC’s Elaine and Liz talk to Radio Derby about domestic violence

On Tuesday 28th February, Elaine, services coordinator at Derby Women’s Centre,  and Liz, a facilitator for DWC’s Freedom Programme, appeared on BBC Radio Derby to talk to presenter Aleena Naylor about domestic violence towards women. We’re all really proud of Elaine and Liz for going on the radio to raise awareness of an important issue and [...]

What courses would you like to see at DWC? You decide!

Derby College will be holding a new learning workshop at Derby Women’s Centre, and we want you to choose what course we run, and so we’re taking it to the polls! Click on the course you would most like to attend out of the choices below, and those with the highest votes will be run! We’re also hosting [...]

DWC’s current funding situation

Last Tuesday, Derby City Council recommended to the cabinet that DWC’s funding should be cut. The decision came after the publication of the results of a consultation with the public on the matter, which ended on December 31st 2012. If the council’s cabinet confirm this decision later today the centre will lose the council’s funding [...]

Will you join us for International Women’s Day?

We’re pleased to confirm that Derby Women’s Centre will have a stall at the annual International Women’s Day event in Derby on Saturday 10th March, 2012. Each year women across the city get together for IWD to meet other women, network, and exchange ideas. This year’s event is inspired by the 2012 Olympics. Guest speakers include Fiona [...]

Help DWC raise £800 to provide counselling to more women

We’ve set an ambitious new fundraising target of £800 to expand our provision of counselling to women in Derby and we need your help to reach it! Our counselling service is currently oversubscribed and we would like to offer appointments to more women. £800 would allow us to bring in more counsellors and take on [...]

DWC patron Parween Warsi adds her support to campaign to save the centre

Derby Telegraph today published an article about the invaluable support Derby Women’s Centre has received from its patrons, as local businesswoman Parween Warsi CBE added her voice to the campaign to save the centre from Derby City Council’s funding cuts. In a statement, Mrs. Warsi said: I am deeply saddened to hear that Derby City [...]

DWC funding cuts “not good business sense”, says entrepreneur

Local entrepreneur and DWC patron Kavita Oberoi has recently spoken out in support of the centre in response to Derby City Council’s proposed cuts to our funding. She said in a statement: I became a patron of Derby Women’s Centre in 2010 because its work complements my own desire to see more women challenge barriers [...]

New and improved legal surgery at DWC

The legal surgery at Derby Women’s Centre, run in partnership with Nelson’s Solicitors, has recently been expanded to include appointments under the Legal Help scheme. The appointments are available on the last Wednesday of each month. Rina, a solicitor from Nelson’s, tells us more. We can now sign clients up to Legal Help so that a file can [...]

Our brand new creative arts workshops

Last Tuesday saw the first session of the new creative arts workshops running at the women’s centre.We’ve had an overwhelmingly positive response from those who attended either of the first two sessions. Here, course tutors Laura and Hannah tell us more. Words by Laura Shackleton.     Hannah and I are students from Derby University studying Creative [...]

Cuts to DWC’s funding no joke, says Jo Brand

DWC patron says women at a real risk if centre were to close Comedian Jo Brand has added her voice to calls to save Derby Women’s Centre from Derby City Council’s proposed funding cuts. Brand said in a statement: The assurance of a women-only environment, the confidentiality and non-judgemental welcome all women receive needs to continue [...]

DWC employment workshop: women build lego house to practise communication skills

This week DWC’s 2012 employment workshops kicked off with a session on commuication skills. Women received some advice on how to communicate more effectively and become more aware of the importance of listening and body language.

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