'I Kind Of Always Knew This Is What I Wanted To Do But In A Very Different Way And On A Bigger Scale' - Lucia Krivosudska

Lucia Krivosudska's long work commute on the London tube, from East to West London, got her thinking. Twelve years living in the capital, working in retail management, but was it really what she wanted to do? 

She had taught children to dance in children’s centres in her home country and knew this is what she wanted to do - “but in a very different way and on a bigger scale”. 

Whilst living in London, Lucia started to do her research and soon concluded that children’s centres had a similar set-up, they all seemed to be doing the same thing. She wanted to give parents what they wanted, but felt she could offer something more than what was already out there. 

Fast forward some time and Lucia’s plans were put on hold when she had her first baby. This gave her the opportunity to start writing up potential activity plans for what she hoped would be her future business. She believes she was spurred on by the creative environment she lives in; her partner designs cartoon characters! 

When her baby was 5 months old, the family decided to move to Liverpool. Here, she began to visit children’s centres, this time as a parent herself. She still felt her business idea could offer something more. 

It was at one of her play centre visits that she first learnt about The Women's Organisation . Coincidentally, Lucia is a Liverpool Mutual Homes tenant, who are a strategic partner of Enterprise Hub, which The Women's Organisation delivers on! 

After feeling satisfied with her research, Lucia took the plunge and booked a meeting with a business adviser. She was assigned to Business Adviser, John Jones, who helped to book her on to relevant workshops and training courses.

She said: “I realised the set up of my business idea would be a challenge due to funding, it would cost a lot to set up. After considering my options, I realised that I couldn’t keep on waiting, it’s better to get things moving slowly than not moving at all.”

Encouraged by the advice she received, Lucia decided to set up Bumbleland, a children’s entertainment business, initially on a small scale with the intention to grow.

She said: “Our aim is become a well-known children’s organisation or club, with various creative activities under one roof. We want to be the place where every child’s story begins.”

Being your own boss, is a big plus point for Lucia, but finally becoming a business owner means a great deal more. She added: “For me, it’s about personal fulfilment. Owning and running your own business can be more satisfying than working for someone else.”

Lucia says the biggest barrier she has faced is the financial aspect. She admits that she has had to keep earning from other work. Now a mum-of-two, she has to make sure she can provide for her family whilst still getting funds to develop her business further. She is in the process of applying for a start-up loan.

How does she cope? She says it’s all about planning and prioritising – “Just keep moving, bit by bit, but moving”.

Lucia was helped by The Women’s Organisation, who can help women with advice and workshops, to enable them to start their own business. If you are a woman and would like more information on setting up a business, you can contact them on hello@thewo.org.uk / 0151 706 8111.

To learn more about Bumbleland, you can visit their Facebook page here. Or email info@bumbleland.org.

Cath & Liz Realised That If They Wanted Massive Business Growth, They'd Have To Change Their Approach

Cath Kerr and Dr Liz Royle

have over 40 years experience between them in psychological trauma, which is rare in their field. With a PhD and a Masters under their belts, these two women were well equipped to make their specialist knowledge a business venture.

Cath Kerr

Dr Liz Royle

Both Cath and Liz shared a desire to set up their own business, meeting for the first time at a CPD (Continuing Professional Development) group for trauma, they realised the possibilities and that two heads would certainly be better than one.

They set up KRTS International in 2010, offering one-to-one advice on dealing with trauma to individuals. Although going well, the business needed to grow and both women wanted to help more people. They decided to completely change their business model in 2016.

The women said: “We took a major leap of faith by stopping providing one to one services and then putting all our resources into working directly with businesses and creating further online products.”

Under the umbrella of KRTS International, the women have launched various e-health programmes offering psychological and wellbeing solutions for organisations to employ in their workforce. For example, KRTS Power to Recover can help a work organisation to strategically prepare for and respond to workplace trauma.

The women are preparing to launch a new programme which will have an accompanying app called KRTS Power to Lose Weight. The idea is being supported by Liverpool John Moores University, and aims to help people lose weight by addressing the mindset of losing weight, rather than the traditional approach of restricting your diet.

With a well-established business in place, getting business advice may not have seemed so essential. However, Cath and Liz knew about the work of The Women’s Organisation. The women booked to see senior business adviser Claire Pederson, who was able to advise them on growing their business and support them under the growth programme; New Markets 2. 

They said: “We have had some amazing support from The Women’s Organisation, including a revamped business plan, financial advice, general advice and they have put us in touch with new projects such as LJMU, which has helped us move one of our projects on considerably.

“Besides all of this, they have always been as passionate as we are about what we do, and they believe in our ability.”

The women say getting amazing feedback, makes the work they do all the more worthwhile. They are driven by their passion for their subject and only work with people who share their values and vision – “We live by the motto if you love what you do, you will never have to work a day in your life”.

Their business is so specialist, that they’ve had to branch out to international markets. Fortunately, the women are in a prime position to grow their business, seeing as what they offer is applicable to such a wide range of organisations, across the world.

KRTS now have large clients on board and with their new weight loss programme in the pipeline, more growth seems likely.

Cath and Liz received growth advice through; 'Women's Growth Accelerator' New Markets 2 Programme, which is aimed at women who are running a business focussing on business to business activity in the Liverpool City Region (Liverpool, Sefton, Wirral, St Helens, Knowsley and Halton) area who are ready to take their business to the next level, expanding their team and significantly increasing turnover. For more information contact us on hello@thewo.org.uk or 0151 706 8111

If you'd like to know more about Cath and Liz's business, you can visit their website or contact them on office@powertorecover.com.

🎈 21 Years of The Women’s Organisation | Launching Our Film! 🎈

2017 has marked 21 years of The Women’s Organisation. That’s 21 years of supporting women. 21 years of celebrating their successes. And 21 years of being inspired, every single day by the women we get to surround ourselves with…

And we’ve been making full use of our 21^st birthday this year with celebrations, parties, and events throughout the year – Just so nobody forgets!

So far this year we’ve launched an art collaboration with dot.art and currently have an exhibition here at 54 St James Street. AND, we’ve been working on a book which is going to be launched in early Spring 2018.

And the last thing that we’ve got to share with you is something we’ve been waiting to launch for many months…Our very own film!

We were lucky enough to work with the incredible team over at Bad Bug Media to put together this short film about The Women’s Organisation. We got together our founders, our staff team, our friends and our clients and sat them down for a moment of reflection of what we have achieved over the past 21 years and the work that is still to come.

We are delighted to be able to launch this film!

Give it a watch!

We believe it encompasses everything about us. Our mission, our vision and most importantly, our values.

It was a real pleasure to work with the Bad Bug team who are a credit to their industry. They spent lots of time working closely with us to find out all about the organisation and created a fantastic piece of media that really illustrates what we are about, all in under 2 minutes.

So please…Give it a watch! Share it around and let us know what you think of it. 

Because this video is about all of us. 

For 21 years we have been working for the economic development of women and we know we’ve made a difference, but we also know our work is not over yet. That’s why we are continuing, we are persisting, and we are working hard every day. For women. Everywhere.

Because when a woman is empowered, women are empowered…

Thank you for 21 years, here’s to another 21 and more!

The Women’s Organisation

Meet T'shana, Our New Trainee Receptionist!

We’ve breathed new, youthful life into our W.O office in the form of two new lovely Trainee Receptionists that keep us smiling all day, Sophie and T’shana! We love staff introductory blogs, as we get to find out loads of interesting things about our new members of the team (like when Ellie told us that she has a qualification in archery).

First off, we’ll be introducing you to T’shana – if you’ve popped into 54 St James Street recently you may have had the pleasure of meeting her. Have a little read below to find out more about T’shana and just how she ended up with us here at The Women’s Organisation. And be sure to say hello to her next time you’re here! 

T'shana and Sophie

What’s your full name and where are you from?

My name is T’shana Braithwaite and I am from Liverpool.

Tell me how you first found out about The Women’s Organisation and become part of our team?

I first came to hear about The Women’s Organisation through one of my tutors at college. I had been looking for a role which offered more progression and development than my then current role at McDonalds.

What kind of things have you done prior to coming to The Women’s Organisation?

Prior to coming to The Women’s Organisation, I completed numerous traineeships and employability programmes whilst working at a fast food restaurant. I also carried out a voluntary work placement at a sheltered scheme near me, as a way of helping the elderly and giving back to my community.

T'shana! 

What has surprised you about working at The Women’s Organisation?

One of the things that surprised me about working at The Women’s Organisation is how welcoming the staff are and how quickly I have felt a part of the team. It’s also rather surprising how much I love coming to work every day!

What’s the best thing about working at The Women’s Organisation?

The best thing about working at The Women’s Organisation is the practical side of the role. For me, the thing I enjoy most is setting up for conferences and events held here at 54 St James St. It’s very hands on and it isn’t always easy, but still the best thing for me personally.

Could you describe one of your typical workdays?

No two days are the same working at the reception desk here at The Women’s Organisation. The job roles vary from setting up events to intensive filing! Some days can be extremely busy and others, not so much.

T'shana on Reception Duty

What might (someone) be surprised to know about you?

Maybe that I taught myself how to play the keyboard by ear and sometimes in my spare time I like to teach myself new songs.

What do you do when you aren’t working? 

Outside of work, I tend to spend most of my time shopping! When I am not shopping, I enjoy spending time with my boyfriend and my family. After all, family time is the best time!

Thanks T’shana – welcome to The W.O family, it’s great to have you here. 

Next up on the blog, we’ll be introducing you to Sophie – stay posted!  

Behind The Board | Meet Our Incredible Trustees | #TrusteesWeek

This week (13^th- 17^th November) is Trustee’s Week!

And as always we want to take the opportunity to thank the wonderful trustees of The Women’s Organisation for all the hard work they do to support us. And this year, we’re going to delve a little deeper and tell you all about some of our trustees.

We think Trustees Week sum up the importance of Trustees perfectly. Here’s what they have to say;

‘Trustees play a vital role in running charities, volunteering their time and working together to make important decisions about the charity’s work. Trustees Week is an annual event to showcase the great work that trustees do and highlight opportunities for people from all walks of life to get involved and make a difference.’

So, let's delve behind the board and find out about our trustees…

Gill Moglione

Gill Moglione is the chair of the charitable arm of The Women’s Organisation and a woman who has plenty of experience of working closely with women! An expert in the voluntary sector, she is now focussing her time on domestic abuse within Black, Asian, Minority and Ethnic and Refugee communities. Gill has a background of being a pioneering and persistent woman and we couldn’t be prouder that she’s the chair of our charitable arm. In her own words, she is; ‘Totally dedicated to women’s equality and progression both in and out of the workplace.’

Pat Shea Halson

Pat Shea Halson is the chair of the trading arm of The Women’s Organisation and an entrepreneur and business woman. She first became involved in The Women’s Organisation after undertaking one of our business courses which she loved so much that she joined the board of directors as part of her commitment to ensuring other women had similar opportunities to access our support. She has been running her own successful business for over 12 years; the Centre for Personal Development, and is a regular at 54 St James Street which is a lovely treat for us!

Mona Navin Mealey

Mona Navin Mealey is a qualified accountant and has over 25 years of experience in the private sector! Having someone with such extensive experience is such an honour for The Women’s Organisation, and Mona’s presence on the board has helped The Women’s Organisation immensely and she has undertaken lots of research which has continually helped us to develop, differentiate and grow.

Lynn Howes

Lynn Howes is currently the Business Development Manager at the Chartered Institute of Housing, but previously held the position of Business Development Director for Merseyside Special Investment Fund which was developed in 1996 in response to the fact that entrepreneurs were struggling to get the full financial support that they needed. Lynn’s years of experience working with entrepreneurs and businesses mean she is an absolute asset to our board!

Angela Foulton

Angela Foulton is a local entrepreneur with a particular focus on equality, diversity and social inclusion – values that exactly match ours! As well as being a trustee for The Women’s Organisation, Angela is also works closely with the Liverpool Dyslexic Project Steering Group and Liverpool Dyslexic Association, and she is keen to promote awareness of dyslexia.

Susan Oshikanlu

Sue is the Finance Manager for HEAT; the Health, Energy Advice Team and she is extensive experience of working within the charitable sector. Sue in her own words says; ‘I am acutely aware of the issues faced by women in local communities and am committed to ensuring that local services are in place to reverse this trend of social and economic exclusion’

Maya Mitter

Maya Mitter is currently a Development Manager for La Bomba and OLC Productions, but was previously a lecturer in Psychology and Essential and Core Skills Communication. Maya understands the different issues that women face at the different stages of their lives and works closely as a member of the board to ensure that women have the support and encouragement that they need to face these challenges. 

These incredible women are just a few of our board, and we are so grateful to have all of them! Trustees Week gives us the opportunity to celebrate their hard work they do all year round, so we'd like to take a moment to say thank you! Thank you to the trustees of The Women's Organisation - You're simply fantastic!

Marking 21 Years of The Women's Organisation and our Collaboration with dot-art 🎈

2017 marks 21 years of The Women’s Organisation. Never one to shy away from a party, we celebrated this milestone alongside those who have helped us along the way. 

We were joined by a whole host of people, from clients to tenants, local businesses and local authorities, our Baltic neighbours and Board Members, partners to funders and anyone else that has played a part in our history and success.

The occasion also honoured our collaboration with local, independent art gallery, dot-art. Some of you may have noticed the artwork that has appeared around 54 St James Street, a flagship facility for women and business.

For the next 18 months, our lovely building will double up as an art exhibition, showcasing the work of local artists Joanne Thompson and Olga Snell. We were joined by Founder of dot-art Lucy Byrne, who championed art as an integral part of everyday life and detailed some of the huge benefits of art in the workplace.

As our guests headed around the building to view the artwork, the artists were on hand to offer an insight into the thought behind the artwork.

We also had a speech from CEO of The Women’s Organisation, the incredible Maggie O’Carroll. Anyone who’s had the pleasure of meeting our Maggie will know that she has a way with words and can capture the eyes and mind of every person she speaks to. And she certainly didn’t disappoint – on 21 years of The Women’s Organisation, Maggie said: “I really have no comment to make because I can't remember most of it". 

Our Chief of Finance, Helen Millne, made sure to grab the mic and acknowledge Maggie’s incredible leadership and dedication to achieving women’s economic equality.

Maggie may be modest – but we’re happy to shout her amazing successes on her behalf. Maggie O’Carroll is an inspirational woman that has paved the way for equality and change in her own indomitable way. For 21 years, Maggie has devoted her time to levelling the playing field for women in all aspects of life.

From day one, our mission has been to ensure that women have a voice at the highest level, in business, community, political life, and in the wider world. At 21 years, we celebrate having impacted the lives of over 50,000 women, locally, nationally and internationally. However, Maggie reminded us that whilst we celebrate our success and the positive impact we have had, we still have an incredibly long way to go.

Thanks to all those who joined us yesterday and an even bigger thank you to every person who has played even the smallest role in the history and success of The Women’s Organisation. Here’s to 21 more …

The artwork is displayed throughout the building including at Reception, Siren communal areas and meeting rooms. So, if you pay us a visit anytime soon, please remember to take a look at the artwork and let us know what you think!

You can check out the photos from the event here.

Meet Our New Team Member - Jenny Wallwork

Our Finance Team & Training Team has grew in rapid numbers over the past few months. Our new team members are certainly part of The W.O family now, and we’d like you to get to know them too. Over the coming weeks we will be sitting down with new staff to find out more about their interests, delve into their past and discover how they ended up with us at The Women’s Organisation. Up first is Jenny Wallwork, she is our new Training Development Specialist and will be working on the new ‘Change It: Progress to Success’ programme at 54 St James Street and Everton Children’s Centre.

What’s your full name and where are you from?

Jenny Wallwork, born and bred in Liverpool

Tell me how you first found out about The Women’s Organisation and become part of our team?

I first found out about The Women’s Organisation, when I noticed a vacancy for a Training and Development Specialist which was advertised, I did what most people do and googled to find out more about the WO and its values and beliefs.  Straight away, I was taken in by the support and diversity that they offered and decided to apply.  I was lucky enough to be asked for interview and as they say the rest is history.

What kind of things have you done prior to coming to The Women’s Organisation?

As a teacher/trainer I have worked within Further Education and for over 10 years I worked within Sefton Local Authority delivering Family Learning programmes within the community.  I then worked for a wonderful charity called Home-Start delivering training on a national basis, throughout the UK and also British Forces Germany.

What has surprised you about working at The Women’s Organisation?

I am really impressed with the buzz about the place, whether working for the WO or seeing the amount of tenants and people who hire rooms for training and conferences at 54 St James Street.  The work ethic is incredible, it literally is head down and coming up for air for coffee and lunch  Ha!

What’s the best thing about working at The Women’s Organisation?

It is a wonderful environment to work in, energetic, productive and inspiring.  To have the opportunity to help and guide women regardless of background is a privilege.

Could you describe one of your typical workdays?

We are currently in the process of launching a new 8-week personal development programme called ‘Change it’ Progress to Success' course.  Most days, I have been networking within the local community and local children’s centres, promoting and marketing and building a rapport with contacts within the area.  The programme is due to start in a couple of weeks, whereby I will be delivering out in the community and also at 54 St James Street .. Exciting times!

What might (someone) be surprised to know about you?

A few things, from leaving college I joined the Women’s Royal Naval Service and lived in Norway for 2 years, working for NATO, with my daily office being at the centre of a huge mountain.
In my younger days (very young) I played for a ladies football team.

What do you do when you aren’t working?

I enjoy family time, spending time with my two grown up children is a pleasure, one lives and works in London, whilst the other is studying at Glasgow University. (opposite ends of the UK, do you think they are trying to tell me something!)  I enjoy my Zumba classes and I am a season ticket holder at Liverpool Football Club, have been for over 30 years.  Spending time with friends is important to me and I have a large circle of lifelong friends, with whom I meet up with as often as possible.  Life is never dull, there is always something happening within the Wallwork household

Welcome to the team Jenny, we are very happy to have you here! 

You can find out more about The Women's Organisation's new programme Change It: Progress to Success, which Jenny will be working on here.

Celebrating Those Who Changed It

Here at The Women’s Org we have just wrapped up our fourth and final Change It programme of the year. This blog will look at the feedback from our final project and fill you in about all that happened at our 2016 Change It Celebration.

Change It is an empowering programme for women living in Liverpool with a diagnosed mental health condition and who are looking for support to build a more positive future. Change It began in 2016 and ran four very successful projects across the year and we believed that this called for a Christmas celebration!

Trainer of 'Change It', Bernie Cox

Last week we hosted an event at 54 St James Street inviting all the women who attended our 2016 Change It courses for a chance to ‘catch up’ over a cup of tea and a mince pie, in true festive spirit. The event gave the participating women across all four courses a chance to meet each other, think about just how far they have come and look ahead to the future.

Also in attendance was guest speaker and 54 Tenant Steve Flatt from the Psychological Therapies Unit to deliver an interesting and thought-provoking discussion on positive thinking. Steve introduced us to Solution-Focused Practice which is a highly effective and refreshing way of approaching the job of having ‘helping conversations’ with people. Solution-Focused Practice focuses on what is going right for you and how you want things to be, a progressive therapy that allows you to move forward.

Steve Flatt from The Psychological Therapies Unit

Reflecting on the project and the impact it had, we asked the women what they thought had been the best thing about ‘Change It’, comments included:

 “No pressure to introduce myself”

“Thinking about my achievements”

“An all-female surrounding”

“Doesn’t focus on goals”

“Small group discussions”

We then asked what they felt they had successfully changed, comments included:

“I feel more assertive and confident”

“Reduced my anxiety”

“Self-worth has improved”

“More positive feelings and thinking”

Finally, we asked what difference it has made to their wellbeing, comments included:

“More confident”

“Given structure to my days”

“Made new friends”

“More confident”

“Encouraged me to purse formal education”

“Improved my self-esteem”

“Made me deal with everyday situations better”

Change It Certificate 

The event was a huge success and a great cause for celebration, putting into perspective just how far each ‘Change It’ attendee had come having officially Changed It.

A big thank you to Steve Flatt for providing such great food-for-thought with his expertise in Solution-Focused Practice. If you would like to find out more about The Psychological Therapies Unit and the services they offer, please visit http://www.psychological-therapies-unit.co.uk/  or email info@psychological-therapies-unit.co.uk.

If you are a female living in Liverpool with a diagnosed mental health condition and looking for support to building a positive future, our next Change It programme will commence on Wednesday 11^th of January. If you would like to find out more, get in touch with our Engagement team on 0151 706 8111 or email hello@thewo.org.uk.

Introducing Our Newest Trustee – Jayne Croft of Brabners

We are delighted to introduce you to the newest member of The Women’s Organisation’s board of directors – Jayne Croft, a solicitor with Brabners LLP.

The Women’s Organisation’s charity and trading arms are both led by voluntary boards of trustees and directors who are drawn from the private, public and social economy sectors. We have always placed a strong emphasis on attracting and retaining a diverse board of trustees with the values, qualifications, skills and experience to set the organisations strategic direction and to oversee the effective stewardship of its resources and activities.

We sat down with the newest member of The WO’s board of directors, Jayne, to find out all about her, her work and how she became involved with The Women’s Organisation.

Our newest Trustee - Jayne Croft

Jayne Croft is a Corporate Solicitor at Brabners, a specialist commercial law firm who advise on all aspects of Corporate Law, and are a Top 100 law firm. Jayne has been with Brabners for nearly a year. Prior to this Jayne studied at Liverpool John Moores University, completing both a law degree and a masters before starting working as a paralegal at a legal aid firm.

‘From there I moved into litigation and it was then that I began training to be a solicitor. As well as my training I took my legal practice course as an evening class, and then qualified as a solicitor at Brabners.’

‘At Brabners, the work that I do is quite varied. I’m on the corporate side of things so this means I mostly deal with mergers and acquisitions (buying and selling businesses), raising funding for investment, setting up companies and giving advice on governance and incorporations.’

But this hasn’t always been Jayne’s career path, despite always having an interest in law. She told us; ‘I’ve always been interested in this topic - Ever since I was about 10 or 11, I was interested in the way that they law can be used to help people.’

Before qualifying as a solicitor, Jayne worked towards opening her own business. After graduating from her undergraduate degree in 2009 she found herself beginning her career in the middle of the credit crunch: ‘Any hope of getting a job was already small, and then it went from small to non-existent. It was then that I decided to do my masters and also looked into self-employment.’

The Women's Organisation Board Members; Jayne Croft, Sue Oshikanlu, Pat Shea-Halson, Gill Moglione and CEO Maggie O'Carroll

‘At that point I wasn’t sure if staying in law was the right things to do, because the corporate and commercial sides of law really hit rock bottom alongside the recession. Lots of firms were closing or had stopped taking on people, so looking into self-employment seemed like a good idea. I found the Enterprise Fellowship Scheme at Liverpool John Moores University over the summer before I was due to start studying for my masters, applied and got a place.’

Jayne worked through the Enterprise Fellowship Scheme on her business idea but it sadly fell through as she struggled find the right premises. ‘To be honest, I spent the next year regretting not doing it, but then I fell back into law and realised that law was what I wanted to do. To try and study for a masters and open a business at the same time would have been really hard, so it probably worked out for the best, but at the time, that realisation was difficult.’

Business acumen must be in Jayne’s blood - not only is it something that she uses in her role at Brabners now, but it’s something that she grew up with - Jayne’s parents were both self-employed. ‘They had a market stall and then started manufacturing before going into retail. I remember my childhood was getting dragged from one market to another so it’s always seemed very normal to me, what with accountants and wholesalers coming round to the house all the time!’

How did Jayne end up becoming our newest board member? Jayne told us that she had been watching the organisation for a while and has always been interested in working with us. She said; ‘I always like to have some things going on outside of my work, and to try to do as much as I can for charities too.  Previously I was on the board of governors’ at The Liverpool Women’s Hospital, so I’ve always tried to have that dimension to me, and subconsciously it’s always leaned towards places that promote equality, but I have a real interest in enterprise so this seemed like a natural move.’

Jayne met our CEO Maggie O’Carroll at the end of last year at a Roscoe Lecture on Eleanor Rathbone and started speaking to Maggie about opportunities within The Women’s Organisation board; ‘I said that I wanted to get involved and help out in any way that I could and that’s how it all came about.’

‘Because of the job that I do, I think that there is probably a lot that I can bring to the table. As well as this, I’ve got experience of being on boards previously, and have also been a service user so can relate to what people want and need from an organisation which I think is important.’

 We are delighted to welcome Jayne Croft to the board of The Women’s Organisation and know that she is going to be a fantastic addition to a great team of board members. Thank you Jayne for taking the time to speak to us, and welcome to the family! 

The Women's Organisation are Proud to be Part of New Enterprise Hub

Thousands of budding entrepreneurs are set to benefit from a new European-funded Enterprise Hub that is aiming to help fledgling businesses get off the ground across the Liverpool City Region.

Maggie O'Carroll, Julia Sweeney & Elaine Bowker

With a mission to support more than 6000 people who are considering setting up their own enterprises and, in the process, help 1,200 businesses to start-up, the Liverpool City Region Enterprise Hub officially launched on 30^th June at The City of Liverpool College.

The Hub will provide support to residents of Sefton, Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Wirral and Halton over the next three years. Business start-up services on offer via the Hub will be delivered by a network of ten experienced enterprise partners, of which The Women's Organisation are the managing agent with the City of Liverpool College lead Enterprise Hub as the accountable body.

Around 200 influencers from the Liverpool City Region joined the Enterprise Hub partners to launch the project, including some of the region’s leading accountants and legal advisers, who specialise in start-up advice, along with local councillors and support services.   Keynote speaker at the event Julia Sweeney, Director, European Programmes & Local Growth Delivery DCLG emphasised the importance of investing in enterprise to sustain our economny.  CEO of The Women's Organisation Maggie O'Carroll declared the Liverpool City Region "Open for Business". 

Enterprise Hub which will be part funded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and will draw together expertise of 10 delivery partners along with  5 local strategic partners who will be supporting the programme’s engagement strategy, ensuring Enterprise Hub delivery teams are connecting with diverse communities.  

Elaine Bowker, Principal and Chief Executive of The City of Liverpool College said, “Start-up businesses are an essential economic driver for the region and a vibrant entrepreneurial sector is a key indicator of a healthy regional economy. We have long supported future entrepreneurs at The City of Liverpool College, delivering a range of business course that equip students with the skills required to run successful enterprises of their own. We already work in partnership with The Women’s Organisation to offer student enterprise services, where students with business ideas can access support and advice to set up their own companies. Leading the Enterprise Hub programme was, therefore, an obvious choice for us and we are hugely excited about the potential it has to help bring thousands of innovative business plans to fruition. By linking our students to the programmewe will channel a pipeline of Further Education graduates into the Enterprise Hub, ensuring that this valuable source of entrepreneurial talent is not missed.”

 CEO of The Women’s Organisation Maggie O’Carroll said:

“We are thrilled to be helping to steer forward this exciting new enterprise initiative for Liverpool City Region. The creation of new businesses is vital to keep our local and national economy afloat. We hope Enterprise Hub evidences how investment in enterprise services can reduce unemployment, raise aspirations and give people a chance to pursue their dream of business ownership with expert and strategic support. The Enterprise Hub partnership brings together organisations with a variety of expertise ensuring that those interested in getting advice can link with experts who can offer them quality services.  We urge anyone who has an idea for a business to get in touch and let Enterprise Hub guide you to getting started.”

Enterprise Hub will offer support to:

• Understand the process of starting a business

• Complete a business plan 

• Research a business idea 

• Create a marketing plan 

• Develop financial forecasts 

• Raise finance

Anyone interested in taking up support from Enterprise Hub should contact 0151 706 8113 orEnterprisehub@thewo.org.uk

Meet Our New Team Member - Suzanne Allen

We’ve had an exciting few months here at The Women’s Organisation, and have taken on 2 new team members in our Administration staff! We’d like you to get to know them, so we’ve sat them down and had a chat to find out all about them. First, of all we met Sue Phillips, who you can read about here, and now we had the chance to meet Suzanne Allen, the second of our new team members who joined the organisation as an Administrator. 

What’s your full name and where are you from?

Suzanne Allen, from Sheffield but I’ve been an honorary Scouser for nearly 11 years

Tell me how you first found out about The Women’s Organisation and become part of our team?

I’ve known about the WO for a while, following their social media accounts and being interested in women’s issues in the workplace and creative industries. I saw the job advertised online and decided to go for it!

What kind of things have you done prior to coming to The Women’s Organisation?

I studied History of Art and Museum Studies at LJMU, and my previous work experience is in administration and events/venue hire. Mainly in arts and cultural organisations, most recently a well-known city centre art gallery and cinema!

What has surprised you about working at The Women’s Organisation?

The huge amount of women in the Liverpool City region who are setting up their own businesses and using our advice service! There’s also so much going on in the building every day from meetings, conferences, tenant offices, to The WO’s own events, courses and adviser sessions.

What’s the best thing about working at The Women’s Organisation?

Working for an organisation with such focused values and aims, and lovely people of course! The day-to-day variety of activities and events, and the 4^th floor balcony is pretty great on a sunny day!

Could you describe one of your typical workdays?

Providing reception services there’s always phone enquiries and visitors coming in. At my desk I’ll be doing admin for the engagement and business advisor team, as well as building and venue hire enquiries and bookings. I’ll also be away from the desk looking after the current days meeting and conferencing clients and setting up for the next day’s events and bookings. So it’s generally non-stop!

What might (someone) be surprised to know about you?

I’ve never learnt to drive but I did learn to hula hoop last year.

What do you do when you aren’t working? 

I’m a regular cinema goer, bit of a bookworm, also bit of a gym bod. I try to go back to Sheffield as often as I can to visit friends and family. Otherwise generally hanging out with friends and making the most of Liverpool’s thriving independent bar/restaurant scene. 

Thanks so much to Suzanne for answering all of our questions, it already feels like she is part of the WO Family!