Inspiring Inclusion, celebrating International Women’s Day

City Bridge Foundation funds hundreds of charitable organisations across Greater London, all seeking to make the capital a more equitable, inclusive place for those who live and work here.

In the piece, we’re highlighting the work of just nine of these inspiring organisations, as part of International Women’s Day 2024.

Young Women’s Trust are champions of young women who are aged 18 to 30 and on low or no pay. They’re on a mission to create a more equal world of work and raise young women’s incomes.

This International Women’s Day they’re asked us all to celebrate the power and promise of young women and banish inequality and sexist attitudes for good. Small actions can go a long way in helping young women on their journey to achieving great things.

Check out their website, which is packed with ways in which we can all support young women in achieving their full potential, whether we’re colleagues, friends, parents, partners or employers.

Woman’s Trust is a London based, mental health charity providing free, specialist counselling to women who have experienced domestic abuse. Since their establishment in 1996, they have helped more than 19,000 women across London through their counselling services.

Alongside their one-to-one counselling, Woman’s Trust also offer group support sessions and self-development workshops by accredited female counsellors using a trauma-informed, person-centred approach.

We’re currently supporting their work with core funding, but they need further support to provide their specialist services to women, when they most need it. This International Women’s Day, why not consider taking on a challenge for Woman’s Trust or fundraising for them in some way?

The Women Empowerment Course run by The City and Hackney Recovery College has been designed to empower women within their own identity and to give them a platform where they can express their concerns, uplift one another and to provide a safe space for women to able to grow and learn more about who they are and coming together as women.

Each course has the capacity for 10 local students and covers multiple topics around boundary settings, self care practising, words of affirmation, journaling and breaking down stigma.

The Women Empowerment Course is full for this year, but you can see other courses offered by the City and Hackney Recovery College in their spring calendar.

Women’s Consortium work primarily in London and Birmingham, with the aim of promoting social inclusion and preventing feelings of alienation and disillusionment in the community.

They seek to prevent the rise of mental health issues amongst women, through activities which focus on increasing women’s confidence, raising self-esteem and getting women actively participating in exercise classes, employment and further education.

Our own funding covers the partial costs of an accredited counsellor who provides mental health support to women who have experienced abuse, hatred or exploitation, particularly in a domestic setting.

Women’s Consortium also offer a free legal support service, paid schools therapy & support projects, and are planning to launch a Sexual Health & Health Inequalities service London.

You can contact Women’s Consortium on therapy@womensconsortium.org.uk

Sophie Hayes Foundation focuses on providing women survivors of human trafficking and modern-day slavery with the skills and confidence necessary to help them achieve sustainable freedom.

Check them out on X (Twitter) and LinkedIn where they’re sharing inspiring stories, updates and news to celebrate the remarkable women they support, as part of International Women’s Day.

They’re looking for partner organisations, of all sizes, to work with them in offering women survivors work-based skills, placements or internships that will help shape their future of freedom, without fear.

Individuals can donate, volunteer and fundraise to support their work.

Founded in 2009, Noa provides practical, emotional and therapeutic support to vulnerable adolescent girls from the Jewish community, offering a safe, caring and non-judgemental environment.

Noa empowers girls with the tools, support and confidence to harness their innate strength to face their challenges and live a healthy and independent future. As part of its mission to transform the conversation around and response to mental health, Noa also provides tailored mental health education in 14 schools impacting 3000+ students and their families.

Our funding is covering the salary of a keyworker at Noa. If you’d also like to contribute, Noa welcome donations and volunteers.

Into the Light is a London-based, not-for-profit project which offers support, counselling, information and resources around the issues of sexual abuse for those who have been abused and those who support them. 

Into the Light is part of The Survivors Trust. Their model of recovery is that change and healing from sexual abuse comes through:

• Giving Information
• Breaking Isolation
• Sharing Experience

They offer a range of services, often offered at lower costs to those on lower incomes. These include a Ten Week Psycho-educational Course for Survivors of sexual abuse, One to One Counselling, Seminars, and Training for community groups, counsellors, counselling services and organisations on working with Survivors.

They also offer workshops, such as upcoming, online workshop on Sexual Abuse Recovery. This will be on Saturday, 27 April 2024 and is for people who have experienced sexual abuse, and their partners and friends as well as counsellors and other professionals.

The Future Voices programme is an amazing partnership between The Voice of Domestic Workers and Sounddelivery Media.

This is a unique leadership programme, working with migrant domestic workers to help them become spokespeople and speak out against the issues and abuse that their community faces.

We’ve helped to fund this amazing project which gives migrant domestic workers a voice, helping them to share the abuse they face and advocate for change. 

Read some of their stories on Sounddelivery Media’s website, it will open your eyes.

Bromley & Croydon Women’s Aid are part of the wider Women’s Aid network. They aim to empower anyone suffering domestic abuse so they can make informed choices about their future. Their services are confidential, non-judgmental and respectful of diversity.

Anyone seeking their support is put at the heart of decision making, so that they can gain the confidence, strength and self-respect needed to free themselves from abusive relationships.

You can join their network of supporters and friends and help them to end violence against women and girls by signing up for their newsletter, via their website.

City Bridge Foundation’s funding currently supports the groups or projects featured above, along with many other organisations across London. We provide grants and other support to help communities foster connections, become more resilient and build a more equal London.

Learn more about International Women’s Day, the inclusive movement for groups and communities working towards a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that’s diverse, equitable, and inclusive.