North East Women and Girls Fund

Women’s Health in South Tyneside (WHiST) has engaged with socially excluded women since 1986. Women come to WHiST to rebuild their self esteem and confidence and opportunities at WHiST support women to find solutions, make plans and creative improved outcomes for themselves and their families. Providing a range of services under one roof gives women the opportunity to choose an individual package of support that they can access at their own pace.

The Sunderland Women’s Centre is a safe place for women from a range of different ethnic backgrounds living in the city who want to learn English. This includes women from the local Bangladeshi community, asylum seekers and refugees, as well as those who have come as economic migrants. The Sunderland Women’s Health Centre provide a full programme of activities to help under-represented women access their services and to have enhanced opportunities within their local community.

Bright Futures aims to support, educate and empower women by helping to address the impact of poverty upon women. Through consultations, Bright Futures have found that women consider money, benefits, bills and debts as their main household responsibilities, which contributes to the biggest anxieties they are facing. Funding supports Bright Futures’ Employment Project, opening opportunities for women to gain qualifications, training and support to move into employment.

West End Women and Girls support isolated young mothers (age 20-30) with social anxiety through funding from the North East Women and Girls Fund. They hold weekly meetings and regular trips to facilitate social contact between young women outside of their immediate family. The mothers who attend face mental health challenges and the group offers a safe space for these women to grow in confidence through discussions and craft activities.

The Young Women’s Outreach Project (YWOP) supports vulnerable young mothers through their various programmes and pathways, including the Young Parents Programme, which offers advice on budgeting and independent living. YWOP also provides one-to-one support for young women, connecting them with external agencies and providing resources to improve their social and economic situation.

The Millin Charity creates a safe space for women living in the lowest areas of deprivation to gain economic independence and improve confidence. The Millin Charity runs a bespoke training programme – Local Women Local Enterprise – to enable women to enter self-employment.

Tyneside Women’s Health (TWH) are in receipt of funding through the North East Women and Girls Fund to support core the organisation’s core costs. TWH offer mental health services to women within their communities, creating a safe and inclusive space. The support takes place in a women-only environment and is especially essential with the impact of the cost-of-living crisis impacting women’s mental wellbeing.