Over the past week, I had the pleasure of meeting Rebi, one of the amazing women who
works at Nottingham Women’s Centre. She very kindly showed me around and shared some
of the fantastic work they do to help support women across the city.
The centre, founded in 1971, was created as a place of refuge and empowerment for
women, providing them with a voice in the local community and a safe space to access
resources and nurture skills. The centre continues to empower and celebrate women today,
offering essential services and fostering a strong sense of community amongst any
individual who is female-identifying.
When you first enter the centre, you are greeted by the warmth of the Welcome Hub, a
space with cozy sofas, tables to meet people at and a fully functional kitchen. Open from
9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, it is the real heart of the centre, providing an inviting space
for women to come together, chat, share their experiences, and support one another. They
hold regular coffee and chat meetups in the welcome hub, offering free hot drinks and
creating a warm and friendly atmosphere. The centre also provides free cooking facilities,
allowing women who may not have the means to cook where they live to batch cook meals
and feed their families.
One of the standout features of the centre is its library, which is one of the last remaining
women’s libraries left in the country! Hidden away in the attic, it is home to an extensive
collection of literature authored exclusively by women, with books on almost every topic in
every genre. They even boast a large number of autobiographies from sportswomen which
they take great pride in. The library is there to provide a safe space for women to reconnect
with their heritage and explore empowering narratives. One of my favourite parts about the
library was their features table, which highlights books on key themes that change monthly.
Their most recent theme, following International Women’s Day, was activism and they
showcased several really inspiring books on this topic. If you are interested in any of the
books from the library, they are free to borrow with membership to the centre and you can
explore all the books they have in the collection on their website. You can also visit the
library any time during opening hours and spend the day peacefully reading in a safe
environment. On the way up to the library the staircase, which is impressive in itself, is
beautifully decorated with a number of poems from members of the women’s centre, adding
to the centre’s inspiring atmosphere. This sense of inspiration carries through to their archive
of reference materials, which preserves important documents on female heritage and history
in the Nottinghamshire area. The archives give an important view into the lives of local
women throughout history connecting you with their stories and experiences, making it a
really thought provoking space.
In addition to its library and archives, the centre hosts a huge number of events and
workshops aimed at empowering women and bringing them together in a supportive
community. There are a wide variety of skills building groups, including a choir, salsa and
boxing classes, a book club and classes on sewing, quilting and poetry writing. These
activities all help you to learn something new whilst bringing women together, especially
those who don’t have friends or family around them, giving them the opportunity to meet new
people with common interests. The centre also provides a number of advice sessions
including mental health support, affordable counselling and recruitment workshops for
building confidence in employability skills. They also hold conversation classes alongside
University of Nottingham’s student group STAR’s, which help women with English as a
second language to gain confidence in speech through a low-pressure fun and welcoming
environment. Additionally, they have drugs and alcohol drop-in sessions specifically for
18–25-year-olds, offering a confidential judgement free space to help foster healthy
relationships with alcohol and overcome addiction. All of these sessions provide crucial
advice, guidance, and support. The majority of the activities and services offered at the
centre are free, whilst others require a small donation, ensuring accessibility for women from
all backgrounds. If you would like to find out more about any of the events or services they
have, you can visit the centre and pick up a booklet which has so much information.
Become a member of the centre is only £5 for students, and they are aways grateful for
donations, no matter how big or small. The centre thrives on the support of the local
community and welcomes all women through its doors with open arms, giving them a safe
space to come together, support each other and find inspiration. For anyone who is
struggling with university life, living away from home, mental health challenges, or just needs
support from a friendly judgement free environment. Or for those who want to get more
involved in the local community of Nottingham I would recommend visiting the women’s
centre and taking advantage of the many wonderful opportunities they offer to support women.