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Warm Space for Women launches at NWC

Nottingham Women’s Centre launches Warm Space for Women, supported by John Lewis Nottingham.

Nottingham Women’s Centre and John Lewis have partnered to launch the Centre’s newly revamped ‘Welcome Space’. It’s now officially designated as a Warm Space for Women, ahead of the coldest winter months. We’re offering a warm, safe, and comfortable space for women to access right in Nottingham’s City Centre. The Warm Space will be open for all women from Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm, at Nottingham Women’s Centre’s 30 Chaucer Street home and hub.

A dedicated team from John Lewis Nottingham has reimagined and refreshed the Centre’s main space. There’s a warmer, more inviting atmosphere for all women to access. The space will be open to any woman during the day. Hot drinks, books from our Library, and the many activities and services that run from the Centre offer home comforts and connection. The Centre’s hot shower and laundry facilities are also available to women. And a bookable, fully equipped kitchen provides a resource for women to cook meals for themselves and their families.

Louisa Mathews, CEO of Nottingham Women’s Centre said,

We are delighted to be able to offer all women a Warm Space this winter. We are so grateful to John Lewis for giving our space a makeover. We know that there are many reasons women might need somewhere warm to go to. From not being able to afford to turn the heating on, to homelessness, or unsafe accommodation. We invite any woman who needs a space during the day to just come in, grab a cuppa, and make themselves at home.

Jessica Faflik, Community Liaison Coordinator at John Lewis Nottingham said,

Thank you to the incredible team of Home Designers, whose vision and dedication have transformed this space into a warm, welcoming environment for the women who use the Centre. We have loved working with the Centre, and are excited to see this refreshed space being used as a dedicated “Warm Space” for all the women of Nottingham.

The space was officially launched in the presence of partners and local businesses on Tuesday 26th November, with press and media invited to join.

Find NWC’s Warm Space for Women

Visit us

Nottingham Women’s Centre,
30 Chaucer Street,
Nottingham,
NG1 5LP

You don’t need an appointment to visit the Centre. Women are welcome to come and use our Warm Space and Library at anytime during our opening hours, which are Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm.

Find Warm Space for Women on Google Maps

Nottingham Women’s Centre’s building and phone line closes at 4pm on Tuesday 24th December & re-opens on Thursday 2nd January 2025 at 9am. More info on our closure dates here: Winter Support

Women’s Health Matters at Nottingham Women’s Centre

Nottingham Women’s Centre is thrilled to be hosting the Women’s Health Matters series of workshops and events, funded by the Women’s Health Community Fund, run by Wellbeing of Women and Holland & Barrett.

Nottingham Women’s Centre’s Women’s Health Matters project aims to bring education, empowerment & awareness to women about their health and well-being. Women’s Health Matters is here for you, because your health is so important. We’re here to increase knowledge and raise awareness about women’s health issues. We’re creating spaces for conversation to break down barriers. Together, we’ll smash taboos about gynaecological health! And we’re here to listen to your lived experiences on these matters too. 

Louisa Matthews, CEO of Nottingham Women’ Centre said:  

“We are delighted to receive funding from the Women’s Health Community Fund. This money will help us to ensure that we can reach more women in the communities that we work with, to provide education and empowerment on gynaecological health. We are excited to create space for important conversations, remove stigma and to celebrate women’s bodies and health.  

Our workshops will give women the opportunity to feel seen and heard, and feedback to us on what topics are the most important to them. Thank you to Holland & Barrett, and Wellbeing of Women for the grant!”

Janet Lindsay, Chief Executive of Wellbeing of Women, comments:  

I am thrilled to continue our partnership with Holland & Barrett and the important work that we are doing to improve women’s health education across the life-course from within local communities working with marginalised women. This aligns closely to the work that our Health Collective is doing to give a voice to women from marginalised communities, enable them to influence policy and provide a space for them to share experiences and solutions to common problems. 

This new funding initiative will enable grassroots organisations to reach more women from marginalised communities. From periods to menopause, the workshops being funded by the Women’s Health Community Fund will provide critical resources, education, and support, fostering an environment where every woman can thrive and be heard.

Clare Stafford, Director of Communications at Holland & Barrett said:  

We’ve already seen the huge impact that community-based projects like Women’s Health Matters can make, so we’re pleased to be able to offer much needed support and funding in partnership with Wellbeing of Women. At Holland & Barrett, we are on a mission to increase education and access to women’s health, break down stigmas, and offer women a safe space to go for support at all life-stages from menstruation to menopause and beyond.

The fund, which has committed a total of £75,000 since September 2023, forms part of Holland & Barrett’s ‘Women’s Wellness Commitment’.  

NWC Policy Updates – Election Edition: Summer 2024

The year 2024 brought with it local and general elections across the country. For people in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, this included a unique opportunity to elect the first ever Mayor for the East Midlands Combined County Authority, and a Police and Crime Commissioner. A hugely important local election that will shape the lives of local communities for decades to come!

Nottingham Women’s Centre is excited to bring you this Election Edition of our policy updates, featuring our election campaign and current issues on our radar!

1. What We’re Working On

Prosecution for School Non-Attendance and Impact on Women

Prosecuting parents for their children’s non-attendance in school is yet another government intervention that has failed to consider and support the intersecting needs and experiences of women. In previous research by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, 71% of the 16,406 people prosecuted for truancy in 2017 were women, 74% of those convicted were women, 80% of those given a suspended sentence were women, 83% of those given a community order were women, and nine of the ten people sent to prison were women.

Recently, through our Ministry of Justice project, Nottingham Women’s Centre has seen several women prosecuted and fined with huge sums of up to £2500 for their children’s absence from school. These women are often single mothers with no previous prosecutions. Our preliminary findings show significant negative impact, evidenced in the experiences of these women. These impacts include enormous financial pressure in the current high cost of living, damaged parent-child relationship, negative barriers to work due to a criminal record, and separation from children due to prison custody.

In the words of one woman:

I was trying to change jobs during the time and my new employer asked me, ‘What were you sentenced for?’

Another woman told us:

My daughter is being bullied in school and I have to choose between watching her get bullied and self-harm as a result, or face prosecution.

Research shows that reasons for school absences – which includes bullying, and lack of support for children’s mental health – are often beyond the control of parents/mothers and require a holistic and supportive approach, rather than the current punitive stance.

Our Actions

We have steered strategic meetings with Nicholas Lee (Director of Education, Nottingham City Council) and Councillor Cheryl Bernard (Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education), Councillor Georgia Power (Bestwood ward) and MP Nadia Whittome towards driving crucial change to support women and parents towards improving school attendance.

Following this, in February MP Nadia Whittome submitted two written parliamentary questions regarding school places and the waiting times for Special Educational Needs (SEN) Assessment which impacts on school non-attendance.

As part of our campaign on school non-attendance, we will be running listening sessions with women who have experience of this issue to learn what works and how to support parents, children and schools to improve school attendance.

Your Voice

We would like to hear from you (or if you are a group / organisation that works with women) if you:
• Have experience of prosecution or fines for children’s school non- attendance.
• Are passionate about this issue and would like to contribute to this campaign.
Please email ezinwanne@nottinghamwomenscentre.com.

WOMEN’S HEALTH MATTERS Project

We’ll soon be launching our Women’s Health Matters (WHM) project! Women’s Health Matters will run as a series of workshops aimed to raise awareness about gynaecological conditions and reproductive health issues, to educate and empower women on health issues, and to celebrate women’s health and bodies.

Your Voice

If you have specific topics on women’s health you’d like to hear about or would like to be involved in the project, please email ezinwanne@nottinghamwomenscentre.com.

2. What We’ve Achieved


The Impact of Alcohol Tags on Women

Since March 2021, courts in England have introduced Alcohol Abstinence and Monitoring Requirements (AAMRs) where drinking was a factor in a crime. An alcohol tag is imposed within an AAMR for adult offenders as a requirement of a community order or suspended sentence order for an alcohol-related offence, or an associated offence that is alcohol-related.

AAMRs ban offenders from drinking alcohol for up to 120 days and offenders must wear an alcohol monitoring tag as part of their community sentence. Compliance is monitored electronically through the alcohol tag which monitors the presence of alcohol in offender’s sweat. A recent report shows high compliance rates, however there is yet no evidence of their impact on offenders. It is reported that 70% of persons recovering from alcohol addiction will relapse during the first year, particularly the first three months.

Our Actions

Through its case work, Nottingham Women’s Centre has identified a case on the adverse impact of alcohol tags on women’s health and wellbeing. We submitted a request for a written parliamentary question on alcohol tags to MP Nadia Whittome. On our behalf, she asked the Secretary of State for Justice whether the Department conducted a women-specific impact and health needs assessment prior to the roll out of the use of alcohol monitoring tags.

Read the response from the government here

Your Voice

If you’ve worked with women undergoing alcohol tag monitoring, or would like to feed into our briefing to the government please email ezinwanne@nottinghamwomenscentre.com.

Our Letter to Nottingham City Council on Budget Cuts

Nottingham Women’s Centre wrote a letter to Councillor David Mellen, the previous Leader of Nottingham City Council, and Mel Barrett, the previous Chief Executive of Nottingham City Council stating the collective stance of women and women’s organisations on the proposed budget cuts. We expressed a deep concern for the disproportionate impact of budget cuts on women and women’s organisations, and emphasized the importance of considering gender equality implications in budgetary decision-making processes, urging the Council Leaders to prioritise the needs of women and marginalised communities.

3. What’s On Our Radar

Shortage of Refuge Spaces: Shortage of refuge spaces can put survivors of domestic abuse at risk. In addition to the lack of available spaces, refuge providers face significant challenges in resettling women with no recourse to public funds as they do not have access to housing benefits and therefore tend to stay longer in refuge spaces.

Lack of support for parents who have experienced child removal in Nottingham. Pause Practices that work to improve the lives of women who have had – or are at risk of having – more than one child removed from their care, closed their service in Derbyshire due to no further funding from the local authority. Other support organisations that serve England and Wales are Family Rights Group, and Post Adoption Centre.

Lack of school places for child survivors of domestic abuse. In a 2023 report from The Domestic Abuse Commissioner, “five key themes emerged from the discussions with frontline practitioners about the challenges they face while supporting child victims of domestic abuse. These were (1) a lack of professional understanding of domestic abuse, (2) a lack of co-ordinated multi-agency working, (3) a high level of local variation in approach, (4) a lack of knowledge and consensus regarding best practice and (5) a lack of support and funding.” According to Nottinghamshire Police, earlier this year, “an amendment to the Victims and Prisoners Bill was made which once enacted will make it a legal requirement for all forces in the country to participate (with Operation Encompass). The hope is that the initiative will help reduce the long-term impacts of domestic abuse on children through providing them with early intervention and will enable teachers to gain a better understanding of the impact of domestic abuse on young people. It may also help partner agencies to direct resources where they are most needed, reducing risk to children and families.”

Women released from prison with no fixed abode are often assessed as not having priority needs, increasing the likelihood of their reoffending. This is despite recognition by The Prison Reform Trust that “appropriate accommodation for people who offend is the foundation of successful rehabilitation(… and) can provide the anchor for a previously chaotic life and act as a springboard for other crucial steps – such as getting and keeping a job, and accessing health care or drug treatment.” Despite this recognition, “an inspection of Through the Gate resettlement services for short-term prisoners by HM Inspectorate of Probation and HM Inspectorate of Prisons, found that 13% of women were released from prison to no fixed abode and only 22% were released with secure permanent accommodation. Social housing can often not be applied for while the women are still in prison which means it has to be resolved at short-notice on release.”

4. Women’s Voices & Votes

Political Engagement Workshops

This March, we hosted two workshops to encourage women to be more politically engaged!

We Vote! Women in Nottinghamshire! was a brilliant workshop to celebrate the power of women’s voices & our right to vote! There was discussion on how Parliament works, voter registration, and how to vote.
Get to Know Women Councillors in Nottinghamshire was an inspiring and insightful event, where women could connect with local women councillors to discuss the experiences of being a politician and the different pathways to starting a political career.

Councillors in attendance at the second workshop were Councillor Audrey Dinnall (Leen Valley), Councillor Neghat Khan (Dales), Councillor Kirsty Jones (Mapperley), Councillor Faith Gakanje-Ajala (Bilborough), Councillor Shuguftah Quddoos (Berridge), Councillor Linda Woodings (Basford), Councillor Helen Kalsi (Bilborough) and Councillor Georgia Power (Bestwood).

Get to Know Women Councillors in Nottinghamshire
Get to Know Women Councillors in Nottinghamshire

Check out this great blog about this event written by Penny, one of our volunteers…

Read Penny’s blog piece!

LOCAL ELECTIONS: EAST MIDLANDS COMBINED COUNTY AUTHORITY AND POLICE AND CRIME COMMISSIONER (PCC)

In May, Nottinghamshire had two important elections. That of the Police and Crime Commissioner and the new East Midlands Mayor for the Combined County Authority.
Nottingham Women’s Centre would like to extend our congratulations to Claire Ward for her recent victory in the mayoral election for the East Midlands Combined County Authority and Gary Godden for his win as the new Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire. We look forward to collaborating with the Mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner to bring about meaningful change for women in our communities.

She Votes: Nottingham Women’s Manifesto for the Mayor & PCC
Nottingham Women’s Centre launched a manifesto, aimed at ensuring that women’s needs were not only heard but also prioritised at the Mayoral and PCC elections. Being our first Mayoral election, it was an opportunity to ensure that the voices of women fundamentally shape the policies and operations of the new Mayor and Combined Authority.

This manifesto is a reflection of the diverse challenges and aspirations of women in our communities, on issues that fall within the powers of the Combined Authority: housing, transport, skills and economic development, and net zero.

Our Overarching Asks to the EMCCA Mayor & PCC

  • Establishment of mechanisms through which women’s voices in all their diversity are heard and consulted in decision making across the region with representation from a diverse range of women’s groups and organisations.
  • Funding for specialist women’s organisations and groups who provide valuable support to women across these policy areas and are often best placed to deliver the right services, at the right time to those who need it the most.
  • Transparency and accountability through the publication of comprehensive equality impact assessments for all decisions, especially where investments are being made, and collection of disaggregated data across gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and other protected characteristics.

Read our full Mayor/PCC Manifesto for Women here:

Read the #SheVotes Manifesto

She Votes Women’s Hustings in April

Nottingham Women’s Centre was delighted to welcome candidates standing for Mayor and PCC from across the political spectrum to our She Votes: Women’s Hustings on 24th April. This included: Claire Ward (Labour), Frank Adlington Stringer (Green), Helen Tamblyn-Saville (Liberal Democrats), Alan Graves (Reform UK) and Matt Relf (Independent), for the East Midlands Mayor Election, and Caroline Henry (Conservative), Gary Godden (Labour) and David Watts (Liberal Democrats) for the Police Crime Commissioner Election. It was a well-attended event that provided a space for women to question the candidates on issues that impact their lives. Those who could not attend sent questions in advance through the Centre.

Read about the Hustings here:

Read about the #SheVotes Hustings

THE GENERAL ELECTION

Nottingham Women’s Centre would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to the elected Members of Parliament (MPs) in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. We are keen to work with the new government to ensure the needs of women are at the centre of policy. The 2024 General Election brings us closer to the goal of 50/50 representation as women now make up 40% of the House of Commons. Now the election is over, we ask the elected MPs to take tangible steps to address the Women’s Organisations Network Manifesto asks for women in Nottingham and ensure that the needs of women and girls are at the heart of policy making.

Nottingham Women’s Organisation Network (WON) Women’s Manifesto

The Women’s Organisations Network (WON) is the largest coalition of women’s groups and organisations in Nottinghamshire, with over 100 members. We launched our first combined women’s manifesto before the general election. There are proposals for achievable change to improve the lives of women and girls in Nottinghamshire and beyond. The manifesto was developed by a steering group of five organizations (Nottingham Women’s Centre, Juno Women’s Aid, Equation, Nottinghamshire Sexual Violence Support Services, and POW Nottingham). It incorporates contributions from WON member organisations, survey responses from our wider network of women, and current research on women, by women.

This manifesto includes and supports the policy asks of many other women’s organisations and coalitions nationally that we are connected to – the #SheVotes24 Coalition, the National Women’s Justice Coalition, Agenda Alliance, Women’s Resource Centre, End Violence Against Women Coalition, Women’s Budget Group, and Rape Crisis England and Wales amongst others.

Nottingham Women’s Organisation Network calls on the new Government for a commitment to:

  • A dedicated role for a Secretary of State for Women and Girls in cabinet to champion and prioritise the needs of women and girls, at the highest level of politics as called for by Agenda Alliance.
  • Policy making that centres women through a gendered approach to the design, monitoring and evaluation of policies. Central to this is the collection of disaggregated data at the local and national level.
  • Sustainable funding for community-based women’s centres and specialist women’s organisations, especially those that are run by and for specific groups (such as Black women’s organisations).

Read our WON manifesto asks here

The WON Manifesto & Asks

OUR QUESTIONS TO PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATES

Nottingham Women’s Organisations Network wanted to know about the commitment of all political parties to the issues affecting women and girls. We asked six questions to all parliamentary candidates in Nottingham/ Nottinghamshire to find this out. Read our six questions and the responses we received from candidates:

Responses from Candidates

COUNCILLOR NEGHAT KHAN & MAYOR CLAIRE WARD AT WON MEETING IN JUNE

June 2024 WON Meeting
June 2024 WON Meeting

Nottingham Women’s Centre congratulates Councillor Neghat Khan on her appointment as the new Leader of Nottingham City Council. We were excited to welcome Councillor Neghat Khan and Mayor Claire Ward to the Women’s Organisation Network Meeting in June. This was an opportunity to hear about the priorities of the two new local leaders, and share perspectives from the women’s sector. We hope to continue this collaborative relationship to ensure that women’s voices are heard in all decision making!

Nottingham Women’s Centre’s statement on recent events

We know that many women in Nottingham – especially Muslim women, Black women, and other women of colour – are feeling scared and unsettled by the horrific racist and Islamophobic violence we are witnessing across the country. We just want to remind all women in our communities that we are here for you, like we’ve always been, as a safe space. 

Nottingham Women’s Centre is here as a place of support for all women, from all backgrounds, at the heart of the city. You don’t need to be in crisis or attending a course to visit the Centre. You can come and spend time in our warm, welcoming space. Meet friends, make a hot drink, prepare a meal, check out our feminist library, or find a quiet spot for some peace and calm. We’re here as a space of solidarity and support.  

You can find us at 30 Chaucer Street, NG1 5LP. We’re open Mon – Fri 9am to 5pm.  

Nottingham has always stood up to hate and come together in difficult times. We stand in solidarity with our partners across the city in saying #NoPlaceForHate in our city and #NottinghamTogether. 

*Thanks to Himmah @wearehimmah for the original #LoveNottingham #NoPlaceForHate design.

“Download and colour in to make your own #LoveNottingham #NoPlaceForHate design.

Love NottsDownload

Women United 2024!

We have a really special event coming up this weekend. It’s the Women United 2024 football tournament, which takes place every year to fundraise for Nottingham Women’s Centre in Tara Newbold’s name.  

Women United Football Tournament 2024
Women United Football Tournament 2024

We wanted to tell you all a bit more about why this event is so important to us, and the amazing impact that Women United’s fundraising has had over the years.  

Women United was founded in 2018. Raising funds for Nottingham Women’s Centre through a women’s football tournament and huge raffle in memory of Tara Newbold.  
   
Tara was a family member & friend to those who organise the tournament. Tragically, Tara lost her life as the result of domestic violence in October 2016, and as a group they wanted to turn something devastating into a positive in Tara’s name.

The Tara Newbold Memorial Cup
The Tara Newbold Memorial Cup

The trophy teams are playing for is the Tara Newbold memorial cup and Tara’s Mum will once again be presenting the trophy to the winning team on the day.  
  
With the help of their amazing supporters Women United have contributed to the vital work we do, creating a safe and supportive space for all women, including those experiencing domestic violence and abuse. By supporting this event you really do make a difference.  

Over the years, Women United have raised an incredible £12,021.68 since the first tournament back in 2018! This year the group have set a very specific target amount to raise – £2,978.32, taking the total raised since the beginning to £15,000!!!  

We wanted to share some of the truly inspiring feedback from those accessing our support. These quotes really show what an amazing impact the work here at NWC has had on the lives of women. 

We’ve also heard from those delivering the support about how the funds raised have helped them continue the amazing work they do.  

We hope you can join us on the day to show your support!! Whether as a player or spectator, it should be lots of fun! There’ll be plenty of game time, a friendly atmosphere, epic raffle prizes, pitch side snacks, and legendary post-game celebrations!!   

You can also show your support in the best way by purchasing some raffle tickets to help fundraise. You can buy raffle tickets in person on the day of the event, or by popping into Nottingham Women’s Centre ahead of the day, or by heading over to Women United’s Facebook page and following the link to their Local Giving page.   

We look forward to seeing you there!!! Thanks again for your support, especially to Women United for your incredible fundraising over the years!! We couldn’t do it without you!!  

Women United 2024
JOIN US ON THE DAY!!

Fundraising Friends Finish Inflatable 5K

Our amazing caseworker Joanna and her fab friends took part in the Inflatable 5K last month.

They were raising money for our Crisis Fund, which helps provide vital support for women in Nottingham.

Joanna (right) and her friends at the finish line
Joanna (right) and her friends at the finish line

Hear about Joanna and her friends’ adventures completing the course…

On 13th April my friends and I completed the Inflatable 5K to help raise funds for Nottingham Women’s Centre’s (NWC) Crisis Fund. I wanted to do something for fitness and fun, and to help others.  Alongside me were a team of 3 mums and their 3 children. As we set off the weather was good, and so were the friends I ran with. They breezed through the course, but I quickly realised I’d been left behind! My friend’s son decided to hang back and we walked it together.  

Clamouring over giant inflatables, which was lots of fun if a little bit risky! Swinging over one obstacle, crawling through tunnels, dodging holes, racing past inflatable hammers, or stepping round inflatable pillars which bounce back almost knocking me out, up huge steps, down huge steps, running and jumping over inflatable walls!! I was lucky not to lose a shoe or pick up an injury!! I then realised we had to do the course twice!  

The finish line slide
The finish line slide

We had lots of fun and banter as we went round again. Through bungy wires and over inflatables, we made it to the finish sliding down a giant inflatable bouncy castle slide for a photo. Even if it was 10 minutes after everyone else! It made for a really fun day! As a team we raised over £600 for NWC’s Crisis Fund. Thank you to all our supporters for all the generous and kind donations. 

Joanna's finish line slide
Joanna’s finish line slide

It was a great day, a lot of fun to be running through the inflatable obstacles with friends and family. I’m proud of raising money for Nottingham Women’s Centre as it’s such a worthy cause.

Tamsin
A well deserved medal and an amazing effort!
Joanna with a very well deserved medal! What an amazing effort!

Well done Joanna and friends!! Incredible effort all round, and we’re so grateful to you all for your support!

If you would like to take on a fun challenge to raise some much-needed funds to support women in Nottingham, have a look at our Fundraising page!

DONATE TO NOTTINGHAM WOMEN’S CENTRE

Endometriosis Awareness – Don’t suffer in silence!

1 in 10 (1.5 million) people suffer from endometriosis in the UK – a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb starts to grow in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes.

Endometriosis is a common condition in the UK but it still currently takes an average of eight years to get a diagnosis here. This is despite:

  • 58% of those diagnosed having visited GP over 10 times
  • 21% visiting doctors in hospital over 10 times
  • 53% visiting A&E with symptoms
  • 27% going to A&E more than three times

All About Endometriosis – awareness event

Come along to a FREE awareness event we’re planning with healthcare professionals on May 17th! It’s a welcoming space to learn about endometriosis as well as to talk about your experience of endometriosis.

When: Wednesday May 17th 6-7:30pm

Where: On Zoom

Register for a free ticket

Topics that will be covered in this session include:

  • What is endometriosis?
  • Getting diagnosed
  • Living with Endometriosis
  • Treatment and Management
  • Accessing services and support for endometriosis in Nottingham

Speakers:

  • Dr Deb Shilpa, Consultant Gynaecologist, Nottingham
  • Sanya Kurmani, NHS Nottingham

We understand that endometriosis is a broad subject especially around cultural considerations and how you experience endometriosis if you’re transitioning/ed. Come along to this session for an overview and there will be time at the end to share what you’d like to hear more specific information on.

There will be a Q&A session to chat about what is important to you, your experience, ideas and challenges. You don’t have to come prepared – just join the conversation!

Symptoms

Endometriosis can affect ALL women of childbearing age and people assigned female at birth including non-binary, gender fluid and transgender people. In addition to all the issues people already experience when suffering from endometriosis, transgender people experience additional barriers to accessing healthcare.

Classic symptoms of endometriosis include: painful/heavy periods; painful sex and infertility, but the full list of symptoms is much longer and may include:

  • Heavy periods with/without clots
  • Pre-menstrual spotting
  • Prolonged bleeding
  • Irregular periods
  • Painful bowel movements
  • Blood in the urine (haematuria)
  • Extreme tiredness
  • Depression
  • Frequent infections such as thrush (candida)
  • Leg and back pains
  • See more on the Endometriosis UK website

Even a small amount of endometriosis deposits can be more painful for the sufferer than some severe diseases.

More information

If you think you might have endometriosis, are coming to terms with a diagnosis, or just want to find out more information, take a look at the following:

Statement on violence against women and girls

The predatory and premeditated developments we are learning about with the deaths of Sabina Messa and Sarah Everard are horrific.

We want to say to all women and survivors – please don’t minimise your response if you feel impacted by the details or online commentaries of both. Reach out and speak to someone, or to an organisation that can help you, like our friends at Nottinghamshire Sexual Violence Support Services.

Women should be able to walk the streets and live their lives without worrying about staying safe. We are fed up of seeing messages implying women shouldn’t put themselves at risk. Men should stop killing women. End of.

As a women’s organisation we see the constant effects that male violence at home or in public places has on women. How this violence permeates every aspect of a woman’s life and how hard they have to work to overcome it. We want to see a criminal justice system that protects women rather than endangering them, we want to see an end to victim blaming and we want an end to the male privilege and misogyny that makes every male attack on a woman possible.

Nottingham women share their COVID vaccination experiences

We recently posted a call-out asking women in Nottinghamshire to tell us about their COVID-19 vaccinations and have shared a cross section of their experiences below.

We also recently ran a Covid-19 Vaccine Information Session which gave women the opportunity to hear from local GPs and ask questions about the vaccination. You can watch the recording of the session here to see if any other queries you have are answered – we covered a lot!

If you have any questions about the vaccine, you can also get in touch with the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group by emailing: enquiries@nottscc.gov.uk or calling: 0300 500 80 80.

Marsha Brown

“I’m clinically extremely vulnerable and before I attended the vaccine appointment I was worried about how it would affect me.

I had my vaccine at Pride Park in Derby, going for the vaccine was fine and everything was very organised. I felt a little under the weather but it only lasted a few days.”

Phyllis Pempho Chitulu

“Before having the vaccine I was worried about all the reactions, and horrible things people were showing in the media.

It was strange feeling having it, I had mine at Nottingham City Hospital and I reacted a bit and was poorly so had to be off work but all-in-all I was proud of myself for taking the vaccine.

I asked loads of people at work about their experience so I knew everyone is different. I am better now as well!”

Anne Darby

“There was a lovely celebratory atmosphere once I was through the police and security guards and into the welcoming succession of staff and volunteers.

It was difficult for me because although I had said on my on-line form I need people to be ‘Deaf Aware’ they weren’t. Being passed from one masked person to another masked person to another was therefore quite a challenge as I had to explain I am deaf to each of these lovely people.

As I rolled down my sleeve I asked the assistant where she spent her time when she wasn’t at the vaccination centre and she said ‘at school’. I was moved almost to tears, what a great young woman to have volunteered for this work.

My arm felt bruised the next day and a huge bruise appeared. I think I was just unlucky that a blood vessel was nicked. I was tired for 5 days and took it easy. Then I was fine and am looking forward to the next jab in May and for everyone to be liberated from this awful fear, illnesses, hard work (or none) and to a lessening of the death toll.”

Cllr Eunice Campbell-Clark

“I went to the Forest Recreation ground to have my vaccination. It is so simple, you can go online or you can get your families to book for you. You don’t need to worry, it’s straightforward -like you’re getting you’re flu jab- it’s as simple as that. I am pleading with the Caribbean, the Asian and the African communities, and other minoritised communities: please come and get your vaccination. It’s really important.”

Sonia Burns

“I had my vaccine (Pfizer) at Kings Mill Hospital. Booking and attending went very smoothly. It was very well organised and there was free parking available at the hospital.

It took about an hour in total, I was supported to complete a questionnaire with a nurse then went through to be vaccinated.

I was told to expect a ‘sharp scratch’ which was an accurate description of how it felt. Afterwards I was asked to wait 15 minutes, to ensure I had not had an immediate / severe reaction.

I felt fine the rest of that day (my appointment was lunchtime) but I felt a bit tired the next day and my arm was sore, by the next day I was fine.”

Some more soundbites…

“I was directed to the first Nurse Manager who asked questions about any allergies etc. There was a Doctor who came over to check over my answers as I have some allergies she wanted to check… My second appointment has been automatically booked for May so nothing else for me to do!”

Eve

“Arriving at the centre was nerve racking … when I did go in it was really well organised – they took my reference number then wanted to see my evidence which I didn’t know I needed but did have on my phone luckily. I then saw one nurse who asked my DOB and address, then I went to another for my vaccine. Lovely staff and everything was dead smooth. ”

Janey

“Before having the vaccine I was worried about being stuck in a long non Covid-secure queue waiting but it couldn’t have been easier, friendlier, more efficient or more Covid-secure. Everything was done with the utmost professionalism. All the volunteers and health professionals undertaking the process were great.”

Theresa

Peer Support nominated for Mind’s Marsh Awards!

At the end of last year, we were pleasantly surprised to find our Peer Support Group Counselling nominated for Mind’s Marsh Awards 2020, with a special focus on the way the group reorganised to support women during tough social distancing measures.

Click the above video to watch our wonderful Group Leader, Ray Cole, talk through how the group has innovated to support as many women as possible over the past year.

If you would like to find out more about Peer Support and come along to the group, find out more here.