Women supporting women

Kyra Women’s Project

The Two Ridings Women in Business network came together recently to award their first round of funding to projects supporting women and girls in the region.

Bringing together professional women from across North Yorkshire, the Women in Business network is a giving circle for women to share experiences and support one another. It also creates an opportunity to deepen their knowledge of philanthropy and put into practice their charitable giving locally.

This is networking with purpose, where membership fees go directly into the fund and members get the opportunity to be on the panel to the distribute funding. All grants from it go to community organisations specifically focusing on women and girls.

New Beginnings Peer Support

Four projects from across North Yorkshire were successful in the initial funding round.

New Beginnings Peer Support in Harrogate received £4,020 to run their 12 week  ‘Own my life’ course to support women and their children affected by domestic violence, helping to empower survivors on their journey of wellbeing.

Kyra Women’s Project in York are using their £2,500 grant to provided coaching staff to run their ‘POPPY (Pathways of Positive Progress for Yourself) project supporting vulnerable women in York. The course helps them grow in confidence and puts them on a firmer path towards employment and other life skills.

A pilot project in a local women’s prison – HMP Askham Grange – to offer one on one counselling to women affected by baby loss sees Reflect receive £3,100 to fund it.

Breast feeding charity, Treasure Chest in York, have received £2,592 towards their administration and fundraising costs to help support women to breast feed.

The Women in Business network also meet socially each year and visit the groups funded on site to see their social investment in action, and learn from it. Get involved with the giving circle.

The Women in Business Network is run in partnership with Titan Private Wealth. Two Ridings are responsible for the grant making and governance and Titan Private Wealth dealing with the growth and development of the network.

This year, the membership fee funding was generously match funded with a grant from the Kasuma Trust in order to make a lasting difference in Yorkshire communities.