🍂 Autumn at Honour Thy Woman Group: Growing, Connecting and Creating Change
As the seasons begin to change, autumn gives us a moment to pause and reflect on just how much has been happening at Honour Thy Woman Group.
The past six months have been about growth in every sense of the word. We have been growing vegetables and connections, developing new partnerships, creating safer and more welcoming spaces, amplifying important conversations and continuing to build opportunities for the women and families we support.
At the heart of all of this remains our purpose: supporting women and families affected by domestic abuse and helping create stronger, healthier and more connected communities. Honour Thy Woman Group is a registered charity supporting those who have experienced or are experiencing domestic abuse.
And as we head into one of our busiest times of the year, there is plenty more to come!
🌱 Six Months of Nature to Nurture
It is hard to believe that Nature to Nurture has already been growing for six months.
What started with a garden and a simple idea about the positive role nature, connection and community can play has developed into something very special.
Over the last six months we have grown purple sprouting broccoli, cabbage, peas, beans, flowers, herbs, sweetcorn and tomatoes, and now our attention is turning towards fruit, with raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries and blueberries joining the garden.
We have even created our own polytunnel, with the help of family and parts sourced from local suppliers here in the Forest of Dean.
But Nature to Nurture is about much more than what we can grow in the ground.
It is about creating opportunities to spend time outdoors, connect with others, rebuild confidence and experience the benefits that nature and community can bring. Our wider Nature to Nurture programme includes walking activities designed to create space for conversation, community and wellbeing.
We have captured the first six months of that journey in our new video.
As we develop our YouTube channel, we will be sharing more of the real journey behind Nature to Nurture, from the garden and our walks to the people, partnerships and communities helping bring it all together. Honour Thy Woman Group's YouTube channel already provides a home for videos about its work and programmes.
Sometimes the biggest changes begin with something as simple as getting outdoors, planting something and watching it grow. đź’ś
🤝 New Conversations and Collaboration with Barchester Healthcare
Another exciting development this autumn is the beginning of our relationship with Barchester Healthcare and the Barchester Charitable Foundation.
Barchester Healthcare operates more than 200 care homes across the UK, making this an exciting opportunity to begin conversations around domestic abuse awareness and the experiences and safeguarding of older people. [barchester.com]
Closer to home, we are particularly pleased to be developing connections with Ross Court Care Home near Ross-on-Wye, which has already supported our Nature to Nurture work in the Forest of Dean.
This is just the beginning, and we are looking forward to sharing more about this developing collaboration over the coming months.
Watch this space. đź’ś
🏡 Making Our Own Space Feel Like Home
There has been plenty happening behind the scenes too.
A huge thank you goes to Workplace Interiors Co., who have completed renovation work within our space.
From roof repairs that have helped make the space safe for storage, to artwork that has brought the office to life, their support has helped us create an environment that feels more welcoming and functional.
They have even helped with those little things that make a surprisingly big difference, including fitting a smart heater and helping prepare another heater in our FairyTell room, creating a warmer and more comfortable space for clients and visitors as we head into winter.
Having a space where people can feel comfortable, safe and welcomed matters hugely to us, so seeing it continue to take shape has been wonderful.
🎙️ Taking Important Conversations Further
September has been a busy month for raising our voice and contributing to important conversations around domestic abuse, recovery and rebuilding.
Our Founder, Keasha, recently joined the DIP Podcast, bringing lived experience and the work of Honour Thy Woman Group into a powerful and important conversation.
The discussion explored some of the issues we see through our work, including:
Post-separation abuse, and the reality that abuse does not always end when a relationship ends
The client journey, recognising that every person's pathway through support and recovery is different
The importance of coaching and ongoing support in helping survivors rebuild confidence, recognise their strengths and move forward after abuse
At Honour Thy Woman Group, we believe conversations like these are important in helping to increase understanding of the longer-term impact of domestic abuse and what meaningful recovery and support can look like.
🎧 We’ll be sharing more from Keasha’s DIP Podcast conversation across our channels soon. Watch this space. 💜
đź’ś Welcome to the Team, Briony!
Growth also means welcoming new people into our community.
We are delighted to welcome Briony, our new Volunteer Community Engagement & Funding Support Assistant, to the Honour Thy Woman Group family.
Briony will work alongside the team to support:
Community engagement and outreach
Researching funding opportunities
Funding administration
Building community connections
Partnership development
Gathering feedback and stories that demonstrate the impact of our programmes
Creating this role isn't only about supporting the growth and sustainability of Honour Thy Woman Group. It is also about investing in people.
We want volunteering with us to provide meaningful opportunities to learn, build confidence, gain experience within the charity sector and make a genuine difference within our communities.
A very warm welcome, Briony. We're so pleased to have you with us! đź’ś
🌍 Six Months of Partnerships Across the Forest of Dean
If there is one thing the past six months have reinforced, it is that change doesn't happen in isolation.
We've spent considerable time connecting locally across the Forest of Dean, starting conversations and finding organisations and individuals who believe, as we do, in creating stronger opportunities for women and families.
From local venues supporting our wellbeing walks to businesses, charities, community organisations and funders, those relationships are helping Nature to Nurture and our wider work take root. The Bell's Hotel in Coleford and Golden Lion in Cinderford, for example, have provided welcoming meeting points for Nature to Nurture wellbeing walks.
To every organisation that has given time, advice, resources, space, funding or simply opened a door to a conversation:
Thank you.
Every connection helps us build something stronger for the women, children and families we support.
đź‘€ Coming Next: October and the 16 Days of Activism
....And we aren't slowing down.
October is Domestic Abuse Awareness Month, and we will be using the month to shine a light on the work happening across Honour Thy Woman Group, the partnerships helping make it possible, and, importantly, the issues that still need greater awareness and action.
Throughout October, expect to hear much more from us.
And then comes something we have been very busy preparing for...
🧡 The 16 Days of Activism
This year's 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is shaping up to be one of our most action-packed campaigns yet.
We are developing a programme focused not simply on raising awareness, but on starting conversations, challenging thinking and driving change.
Keasha will be speaking as part of our activity, alongside a programme designed to bring people and communities into the conversation.
We don't want to reveal everything just yet.
But we can say this:
There is a lot coming.
📢 Voices will be amplified.💜 Stories will be shared.🤝 Communities and partners will come together.🌍 And we will continue turning awareness into action.
Keep following our channels throughout October as we begin to reveal what's planned.
đź’ś Growing Together
From the first seeds planted through Nature to Nurture six months ago to new collaborations, new voices, a developing home for our charity and another volunteer joining our team, this autumn feels like an important moment for Honour Thy Woman Group.
Much of what has happened has only been possible because people across our communities have been willing to listen, connect, collaborate and believe in what we're trying to achieve.
So as one season ends and another begins, our message is simple:
Thank you for growing with us.
There is so much more still to come.
đź’ś Together, we're building brighter futures for women, families and communities.
Honour Thy Woman Group
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