Run by women, for women (From The Northern Echo)

Run by women, for women

2:16pm Tuesday 19th July 2011 in Echo Woman By Ruth Addicott

Vulnerable women are being given a fresh start thanks to the launch of a new Women’s Centre in Stanley, County Durham. Ruth Addicott speaks to founder Linda Kirk.

WHEN the Just For Women centre opened in Stanley six months ago, most of the women there were at their lowest ebb. Nearly all had suffered some form of violence, domestic abuse or bereavement and were at a loss for where to turn.

Today, it’s a different story. Chatting over coffee and a plate of chocolate biscuits, they have met other women with similar experiences and found the strength and encouragement to move on.

The charity offers a support service and free counselling to vulnerable women across the region, helping them to get a fresh start in life and learn new skills alongside.

Linda Kirk, a stress management consultant from Stanley, opened the centre in January after selling her previous business to fund it.

Having been a victim of abuse herself, she has been an inspiration and huge support to the women, some of whom have stayed on to become volunteers themselves. “It’s run by women for women and is somewhere they can go to feel safe and secure and build their confidence and selfesteem,” she says.

“Seventy per cent of them have gone through abuse of some kind – I’ve suffered abuse myself, but I got out of it – others have gone through bereavement or are suffering from health problems. A lot of these ladies are suffering from some form of depression. This gives them somewhere to go rather than sitting at home It’s a little sanctuary.”

Aside from counselling, they have the opportunity to do craft making, which has proved such a success, they now take commissions and sell their products from the shop next door for charity. Linda says it has also had a great impact on boosting their confidence.

“The women didn’t know each other when they first came and it took them a while to interact, but put something in the middle of the table and they’re chatting straight away, sharing stories and experiences,” she says. “One lady, Lorraine, made a beautiful fireside rug in just three weeks. The social side is absolutely brilliant for them. Four or five months ago, their confidence was really low, now they’re running the shop and learning employment skills.”

Linda would like to see similar shops on every high street, promoting recycling as well as making better use of premises that are left empty. She says a lot of the women have really good skills and are now ready for work. “I’d like to think that with the help of funding, in six to 12 months time, we could employ women here at the centre,” she says.

LINDA came up with the idea for the charity in 2006, but struggled to get funding. Determined to put her plan into action, she sold her business Deli Delights, in Stanley, in 2008 and invested £5,000 of her own cash. She now runs the centre with Lorraine Turnbull, a former education administrator at Stanley Community Centre.

“I’d worked with young people as a residential social worker before and left to open a coffee bar in 2004,”

she says. “I wanted to get back into working with people and always had it in my mind to open a retreat or Women’s Centre. There wasn’t anything like this in the area. We’ve had about 100 women through since we opened, in the last few weeks we’ve had phone calls every day from women wanting to come in. Some just come for a couple of counselling sessions, others have been here since we started.”

Now the charity is up and running, they are looking for volunteers as well as a donations of wool and materials, and have just been awarded a further £5,000 from Durham County Council.

“I’ve worked and lived around this area for some time and it was a case of wanting to put something back,” says Linda. “We’ve only been open six months, yet we have become like a family to some of the women. Some of them say it has changed their life.”

As well as the counselling sessions which are free, the centre holds a number of workshops including crafts, jewellery and card-making.

They take place on Saturdays and cost £10.

Linda, who has three grown up children, now dedicates most of her time to the centre, travelling to craft fairs on weekends raising extra funds. “Everything we make goes back into the centre, sometimes I’m working a 70-hour week, but I absolutely love it,” she says. “We are open to all women. There is always tea, coffee and chocolate biscuits.”

• Just For Women centre, 35 Station Road, Stanley, County Durham (01207-281145). The centre is open Mon to Fri, 10am to 5pm. Workshops are held once a fortnight on Saturdays.