Jazz FM Charity Focus for IWD
As part of Jazz FM Celebrates International Women's Day, we're highlighting organisations that are doing vital work to champion and support women.
From Sat 6th - Sun 14th March, Jazz FM are celebrating the innovative women of jazz, blues and soul, as we mark International Women's Day 2021.
Alongside the powerhouse saxophonists, legendary vocalists and leading producers, we wanted to shine a light on the inspiring charities in the UK that champion and support women.
On air, we're focusing on organisations Walk The Walk, Sistah Space, Routes and Stonewall by sharing specially recorded sound capsules with their contributors. To find out more about them, and other charities that we'd like to highlight, keep scrolling...
Charities that are doing vital work
The Jazz FM team have put together a list of UK based charities that we believe you should know about.
Girls Out Loud
"We are dedicated to raising the aspirations of teenage girls in the UK. We are passionate about empowering girls to find their voice. Our programmes are all about embedding more confidence, emotional resilience, self-assurance and self-esteem. In turn, this leads to real aspiration, real change and long lasting success."
Bloody Good Period
NO PERIOD SHAME HERE.
"We don’t believe that anyone should be at a disadvantage just because they menstruate.
We give period products to those who can’t afford them, and provide menstrual education to those less likely to access it. And we help everybody talk about periods."
To support, visit their website.
Our Naked Truths - Black Womxn's Therapy Fund
Our Naked Truths is a life art therapy series that uses life art, meditation and conversation to center the stories and bodies of Black and POC femmes.
To find out more, and support, about Our Naked Truths, visit their Go Fund Me Page.
Women at St Mungos
St Mungo’s Women’s Strategy is designed to address the ways in which women experience homelessness differently from men, equipping them to achieve equally positive outcomes with our female clients.
To read St Mungos' full three year Women's Strategy, click here.
Smart Works
Smart Works is a UK charity that provides high quality interview clothes and interview training to unemployed women in need.
"We harness the power of clothes and confidence to allow a woman to be her best at a crucial moment in her life, giving her the confidence, the self-belief and the practical tools required to succeed at interview and transform her life."
To find out more, visit their website.
Muslim Women's Network UK
Muslim Women's Network UK is the only national Muslim women's organisation in Britain.
"We work to improve the social justice and equality for Muslim women and girls. We have a national membership of individuals and organisations with a collective reach of tens of thousands of Muslim women. Our membership also includes women of others faiths / no faith and men who support our work."
To get involved, visit their website.
Fawcett Women's Society
The Fawcett Society is the UK’s leading membership charity campaigning for gender equality and women’s rights at work, at home and in public life.
"Our vision is a society in which women and girls in all their diversity are equal and truly free to fulfill their potential creating a stronger, happier, better future for us all."
To find out more, visit their website.
On Air Charity Focus
Across the week, you can hear directly from Routes, Walk The Walk, Sistah Space and Stonewall. Tune in to Breakfast with Nigel Williams, Daytimes with Anne Frankenstein, and Afternoons with Jamie Crick for specially recorded Sound Capsules from the women who run these organisations. To learn even more, and support, the links are below.
Routes
Routes was founded as a direct response to the additional barriers faced by women who are seeking safety in the UK. We exist to support refugee and asylum seeking women by countering the hostile asylum system, bringing women together to support one another in spaces of joy, welcome and patience.
"We are on a mission to connect communities and champion women, through 1:1 mentoring programmes, leadership training and creative workshops"
Our mentoring programme for women in business is designed to benefit both mentor and mentee. Mentors are supported to develop purposeful leadership and communication skills, through intensive training and practical experience. Meanwhile, mentees are supported to identify their goals and design a plan of action to achieve them: from writing a CV and applying for jobs, to finding volunteering opportunities, improving digital skills and more.
Our creative workshops support refugee and asylum seeking women to grow in confidence, practice English and build new relationships as part of a joyful and welcoming community. We run drop-ins as well as longer programmes, culminating in sharing performances at theatres across London.
To continue learning about Routes, visit their website here.
Walk The Walk
Breast cancer charity Walk the Walk started with a dream almost 25 years ago! Since then, it’s raised a staggering £133 million for research and to help improve the lives of those living with cancer.
In 1996, Nina Barough dreamt she was Power Walking the New York Marathon in a bra to raise money for breast cancer. She did just that with a group of friends, raising ÂŁ25,000, but a few months later was diagnosed with the disease herself.
As Nina went through treatment, her friends supported her by walking the London Marathon wearing decorated bras, raising another £25,000! The following year, many of the group couldn’t get places, so Nina created a one-off night-time Power Walking Marathon ahead of the official London Marathon. The iconic MoonWalk London was born –the first ever mass fundraising event for Walkers.
"Our motto… raise money, raise awareness, get fit and have fun!"
This year, The MoonWalk London has gone Virtual – on Saturday 15th May, thousands of women, men and children will take on a 6.55, 13.1, 26.2 or 52.4 mile walking challenge in their own areas. Walk the Walk is aiming to raise £1 million, with money granted to cancer charities on the frontline during the pandemic.
Sign up for the Virtual MoonWalk London now at https://www.walkthewalk.org/
Sistah Space
Sistah Space is a specialist organisation that supports African and Caribbean heritage women and girls who are experiencing or have experienced domestic abuse and sexual abuse. The survivors are from many different sections of the African & Caribbean community, including the Rastafarian/ Grassroots community, who remain on the fringes of society.
Rastafarian and other grassroots women are among those who have the highest rate of underreporting. Sistah Spaces' specialised service seeks to assist those who are apprehensive about going to mainstream services without support, such as the police and other statutory services.
"We began by supporting women in our community."
"We have grown from being a community and Pan-London based organisation to being known and supporting women all over the UK and internationally. The services we provide are not only limited to what we provide to women, it also extends to providing basic essentials and food to our community.
Our mission is to encourage African heritage survivors/victims to report domestic and sexual abuse by providing a safe cultural venue for victims to disclose abuse in a confidential environment where they can see themselves reflected, and to encourage community integration and changes at policy level."
Stonewall
Stonewall was founded in 1989 by a small group of people who had been active in the struggle against Section 28 of the Local Government Act. Section 28 was an offensive piece of legislation designed to prevent the so-called 'promotion' of homosexuality in schools; as well as stigmatising lesbian, gay and bi people, it galvanised the LGBT community.
"We're here to let all lesbian, gay, bi and trans people, here and abroad, know they're not alone."
"We believe we're stronger united, so we partner with organisations that help us create real change for the better. We have laid deep foundations across Britain - in some of our greatest institutions - so our communities can continue to find ways to flourish, and individuals can reach their full potential. We’re here to support those who can’t yet be themselves.
But our work is not finished yet. Not until everyone feels free to be who they are, wherever they are. We achieve this by empowering individuals, transforming institutions, changing hearts and minds and changing and protecting laws."
To find out more about Stonewall vist: https://www.stonewall.org.uk/ and their Impact site https://stonewallimpact.org.uk/
Hear us celebrating International Women's Day all week on Jazz FM!
From the Business Breakfast to Jazz FM Voices, we're celebrating the innovative women of jazz, soul and blues, and those who inspire us! To read our full line up, click here.