We’re also hosting an open day tomorrow morning (24th February) from 10-12, where you can come to the centre and find out more about any of the options. 

Happy voting!

Last September, the council announced it would cut the funding of 19 voluntary organisations across the city. It launched a consultation with the organisations and their stakeholders and the general public. Last Monday, the council published a report on the findings of the consultation, and recommended that the council’s cabinet cut the funding of all but three of the organisations involved.

All staff, volunteers, and women who use the centre are disappointed with the council’s recommendation to cut its funding, even more so because the results of the consultation were positive. Derby Women’s Centre had the third highest number of responses from service users and the second highest level of support from the public, yet it was not one of the three organisation’s whose funding was continued. The report also says that there are other organisations in Derby where women can access similar services, for example the NHS, but over 25% of women who have received counselling at the centre were referred to us by their GPs.

The future of the centre therefore remains uncertain. However, staff and volunteers are working hard to secure alternative sources of funding, and we are hopeful that the centre to be around for many years to come, despite the huge challenge it faces.

The council’s cabinet are meeting at 6pm tonight at Saxon House, meeting room G, to make their final decision. The meeting is open to the public, and we encourage you to attend if you would like attend the meeting to support Derby Women’s Centre.

Entertainment comes in the form of music, dance groups, and a visit to a complimentary therapy suite. To keep the children happy, there will be an entertainer, face painting, and a bouncy castle. There will also be the opportunity to meet representatives from organisations in Derby and get advice and support on issues facing women and girls.

All women and girls are invited to attend the event on 10th March, 10am–4pm, at the Assembly Rooms in Derby. IWD 2012 poster See you there!

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 more clients. We hope that with help from our supporters we can reach this goal.

We’ve already had some fantastic support, including a donation of £200 from Ray Gumbley, who pledged £25 and persuaded his friends and family to do the same. Thanks Ray!

Read on to find out how to donate to DWC, and stay tuned for information about forthcoming fundraising events and activities.

Text donations. To give £1, text DWOM04 £1 to 70070. You can choose to give more if you’re feeling generous – just swap the £1 in the message for whatever you wish to give.

Credit/debit card donations. We’re now set up to receive donations through the BT MyDonate service. Check out our page here if you’d like to donate via this method.

Cheque donations. Please make cheques payable to Derby Women’s Centre and send to 4 Leopold Street, Derby, DE1 2HE.

In-person donations. If you’d prefer to bring a cheque or cash in person rather than sending through the post, feel free to visit us at 4 Leopold Street, Derby. We’re open from 9.30am-4.30pm on Mon-Thurs and 9.30am-4pm on Fridays.

We’re grateful for any contribution, large or small! We’ll keep you updated on how the fundraising is going with regular posts over the next few weeks and months so you can see how we’re getting on.

In a statement, Mrs. Warsi said:

I am deeply saddened to hear that Derby City Council has proposed to cut the funding of Derby Women’s Centre, which plays a vital role in supporting vulnerable women in Derby.

I became a patron of the centre in March 2011 after learning more about its work at an International Women’s Day event in Derby. I was impressed by the centre’s commitment to helping all women, regardless of their situation and background.

I worked extremely hard to build a successful business, but it is thanks to help from family and friends that I was able to do so. We all need support and stability, and for many women in Derby it’s the women’s centre that they turn to for help and guidance.

The women’s centre has been a Derby institution since 1978 and it would be a tragedy not just for women, but for the whole city if it were to close down.

Mrs. Warsi is one of Britain’s most successful businesswomen. She moved to the UK from India in 1975 with her husband and son, and settled in Derby, where she founded S&A Foods. The company has a factory in Shaftsbury Road in Derby.

Entrepreneur and DWC patron Kavita Oberoi

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 in the workplace and break the “glass ceiling”. The women’s centre does an excellent job helping women overcome personal difficulties, socio-economic inequalities and improve employment skills and confidence, which all contribute toward enabling women to fulfil their potential.

What I really admire about the centre is the variety of services they offer and their integrated delivery. The importance to these women of being able to access a number of services in the same place – a women-only environment where they feel welcome and safe – cannot be underestimated.

Kavita is the founder and Managing Director of Oberoi consulting. She has appeared on Channel 4′s The Secret Millionaire and is one of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs. She said of the council’s proposal:

Cutting the funding of the women’s centre is not good business sense. The centre reduces the pressure on other publically-funded bodies. Many NHS GPs, for example, refer patients to the centre for counselling, which it provides at a much cheaper cost.

A recent report by the Women’s Resource Centre  has found that nationally, women’s organisations generate between £5 and £11 in value for every pound spent, providing excellent value for money in supporting women and children.

We can now sign clients up to Legal Help so that a file can be opened and any appropriate work can be carried out after the initial meeting. However, clients must be eligible for Legal Help and therefore need to bring proof of income.

Legal Help provides a legal service to clients either in receipt of a passporting benefit or if on a low income, to advice and assist in relation to legal matters. We provide family law advice on matters related to divorce, injunction and contact matters concerning children.

Beatiful bunting made by the DWC creative arts group

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 Expressive Therapy. We run a creative arts workshop at Derby Women’s Centre every Tuesday morning as part of our placement.

The aim of the creative workshops is to give people the opportunity to explore, take risks, build confidence and communication skills while simultateously having fun and meeting great people. We have completed just two workshops so far, but already group members seem to have discovered a sense of community, security and support.

More bunting!

The workshops will include all kinds of creative activities such as arts and crafts, drawing, playing and listening to music, and working with clay. By the end of the workshops, we hope to have completed a project as a group that we can hang on the wall at the centre. The workshops have a lovely, warm and welcoming atmosphere for members old and new.

Jo Brand, Derby Women's Centre patron since 1994

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 in Derby. Any suggestion of a reduced service or closure amounts to women at real risk of having nowhere else to go or denied the choice of where to go.

As many of you already know, last September the council announced they would cut our funding from March. Following a consultation with the public, the final decision of cabinet members is due in February.

Brand, best known for her stand up act and appearances on Have I got news for you and QI, has been a patron of Derby Women’s Centre since 1994. She said:

What I most admire about the DWC is that women really do use it. In any year the centre helps around 3000 women through any number of personal difficulties and that includes domestic violence, sexual abuse – yes things we don’t always want to talk about.” She added: “It’s been my privilege to support the Derby Women’s Centre since 1994 and I’m not going away!

Brand’s comments follow a recent statement from Glenis Willmott MEP, who said that closure of the Derby Women’s Centre would “impact on the family as a whole and at a time of increasing economic hardship.”

Brand also praised the “skilled and dedicated” staff at the centre.

A big thank you to Jo from everyone at the centre for all her support over the years.

The course was built around a variety of tasks that demonstrated aspects of communication skills. For one task, the group split off into two teams. A member from each team went outside to look at a house made from lego, and after went back to tell the rest of their team how to build a replica. It took some time but eventually they got there!

The women found the course useful and enjoyable. Qudsya, a former DWC volunteer said:

I came to the communication skills session and learned a lot. It will help me further in working and speaking with people. It was really enjoyable and everybody at DWC are really welcoming.

A big thank you to Janet Spicer from Remploy Derby, who came the the women’s centre to deliver the workshop.