North East Women and Girls Fund- 25 Years of Aspiration
In 1999, Dame Margaret Barbour launched The Women’s Fund, now known as the North East Women and Girls Fund, with an initial donation of £250,000 from the Barbour Trust.
Dame Margaret had a vision; she wanted the fund to be a collective endeavour enabling local people to support local women, and 25 years on it is still doing exactly that.
This year the Community Foundation have reinvigorated the fund, and it was great to be there to not only celebrate this relaunch but to also discuss how we can better support women’s organisations and encourage stronger partnerships between female business founders and charity CEOs.
Erin parker Leonard- Represent Women, Kelly Whitfield (Founder and CEO at KLIK SaaS) Dame Helen Barbour, Jo Elliot- Pneuma Group
The event
The day itself included a panel discussion which was expertly led by Steph McGovern. Some topics covered included discussions about aspiration and overcoming barriers where Steph reminded us that “you can’t be what you can’t see.”
Photo Credit: Community Foundation
We also heard from Chris Dale who pointed out how flexible women’s organisations are and how they adapt to ensure women can access their services no matter what, using Sunderland Women’s Centre as an example, who provide a creche to enable more women to attend their sessions.
As well as Kelly Whitfield, Founder and CEO of KLIK SaaS, Mary Udeze, Outgoing President at Northumbria University and Trustee at the Angelou Centre, and Kathryn Meadows, 4th Generation owner of Nicholson’s Butchers. Their stories may have all been different but if you listened close enough you could hear they all had one thing in common – overcoming adversity and finding ways to believe in themselves. For Kelly that meant not worrying about failure but instead “I was worrying about cracking on and smashing it!’
We also heard from Louise Masters and Gill Caleary who are part of the Women and Girls Fund Development Committee. Gill explained why the fund is so important, thanking and celebrating the women and girls sector who she described as “often delivering with modest support.”
A powerful reminder she left with us on the day is that “somewhere in the North East there is a wee girl whose story hasn’t been written yet.” This serves as reminded of who the fund is for, the difference it can make and why it’s continued support is so vital, it’s all about ensuring future generations of women and girls have opportunities to thrive.
Steph McGovern, Laura McCintyre and Erin Parker Leonard
Research project- A partnership between Represent Women and Community Foundation North East
Photo Credit: Community Foundation
Community Foundation have co-commissioned a piece of research in partnership with Represent Women looking into the value of the women’s sector and we have been able to include a section on Philanthropy to find out more about its importance to the women and girls sector.
We created a survey that was completed by led by and for women and girls organisations and the most common responses:
‘Philanthropic support gives us the flexibility to respond to emerging needs that do not always fit neatly within grant criteria’
The word “safe” was also one of the most commonly used words in the responses.
It was great to see some of the qualitative data included in the report shared at the event.
Jo Cundall, Senior Programmes Advisor at Community Foundation said “We were delighted with how our NE Women and Girls Fund event went. It was a room full of warmth as well as a determined sense of needing to make things better.
“That work is ongoing. An important aspect of that is our partnership with Represent Women, who we are collaborating with on some co-commissioned research to better understand – and celebrate – the value of the sector.”
Why is the fund important?
The work of the Women and Girls Fund is significant and consistent. Women’s organisations often report that the relationship between funders and grant recipients can be challenging, particularly where reporting and administrative requirements are substantial. Many organisations rely on multiple funding streams and therefore invest considerable time in preparing applications and reporting on outcomes for different funders.
While accountability is important, there is often a need for greater trust in the relationship between funders and funded organisations. The Women and Girls Fund demonstrates this well through its supportive, trust-based approach, helping organisations focus on their work rather than administration.
Get involved:
Anyone can donate to the fund; all gifts are welcome, large or small. Please do give what you can to help support women and girls across the North East. Together, we can make a big difference to local women’s lives.
Jo manages the Women and Girls Fund alongside a portfolio of other funds and can be contacted for more information at jc@communityfoundation.org.uk
Well done to Jo Cundall and all the team at Community Foundation North East for the amazing event and for recognising the importance of having this dedicated fund for women and girls organisations!
Find out more here: Women’s Fund Grant | Community Foundation