CITIZENSHIP & DIVERSITY     CCC's Work

New Strategies for the UK Women's Sector

Centre for Creative Communities

The Centre for Creative Communities (CCC) is leading a highly consultative development process, sponsored by the List Family Foundation Ltd., for the establishment of a strategic development facility for the UK women’s sector.

Background
Methodology and Activities
Open Space Meeting
Timeline
Get Involved
Advisory Group
Further Reading/Resources

Background

In 2004, the List Family Foundation Ltd. approached CCC to profile UK organisations and government departments that deliver services to and advocate for the rights of women and girls. The Foundation was interested to learn how the sector is structured and funded, and what challenges are faced by organisations working in the field.

In May 2005, the Foundation trustees gathered with 5 UK women’s organisations to discuss the study’s findings. Among the issues that came to the fore was that the sector would benefit greatly from more reliable funding, better self-promotion, and sharing of knowledge and expertise among individual organisations. It was noted that organisations find themselves out of necessity inwardly-focussed on their individual missions, yet operate within a climate of economic, social and political forces that impact on the entire sector. With no mechanism in place to formulate a sector-wide strategy, joint campaigns such as establishing a network and raising strategic funds have proved difficult or short lived.

As a result of this consultation and the original study, the Foundation has further commissioned CCC to conduct a consultative development process to lay the groundwork for a sector-wide strategic development facility.

| Back to top |

Methodology and Activities

CCC is exploring the social, political and economic contexts in which UK women’s organisations operate. The research methodology draws on ‘Scenario Thinking’, which takes a proactive and anticipatory approach to addressing deep-seated problems within organisations or sectors. This methodology is designed to focus on the long view by anticipating any challenges and opportunities that might arise in the future.

In order to reflect the range of services and draw on the depth of knowledge within the sector, CCC is engaging with a wide variety of organisations, from those focussed on direct service delivery to those advising government on national policy. The activities include in-depth one-on-one interviews with a representative cross-section of women’s organisations and regional focus groups with women’s organisations.

In both these activities, participants are invited to describe the context of their work, to examine challenges and uncertainties and to envision a future in which these challenges and uncertainties are minimised and the sector is strengthened. These conversations are audio-recorded as a means of capturing insights in real time. Once transcribed, the conversations are revisited throughout the process to look for resonances, discords and nuances among key stakeholders in the UK women’s sector.

Champions of Change: Open Space meeting

In order to build momentum and begin the network building process, a sector-wide meeting of 75+ participants was held in London City Hall in late October 2006. The event gathered participants from a wide range of women’s organisations, including a representative number from outside greater London. The meeting was facilitated using Open Space methodology, which gives each participant an equal opportunity to formulate the agenda for the day and the recommendations that are carried forward. To read notes from the day click here.

| Back to top |

Timeline

The project was launched in May 2006 and is due for completion in February 2006.
July – October 06: Interviews and focus groups
23 October 06: Open Space Meeting
November – February 06: Analysis of findings, scenarios, final report and work plan

Get involved

For more information or if you know of someone who may be interested in contributing to the study, please contact Ann-Sophie Morrissette or Jennifer Williams at info@creativecommunities.org.uk or 020 7569 3005.

Advisory Group

CCC is leading the study with a part time staff team and an Advisory Group comprising representatives from women’s organisations, including:

African Women's Care
Asian Women’s Resource Centre
Engender Scotland
FATIMA Women's Network
Fawcett
Kairos in Soho
Rights of Women
Womankind Worldwide
Women’s Budget Group
Women’s Resource Centre


| Back to top |

Further Reading/Resources

Equality Review Response
Fawcett, 2005

Investing in Women: Report from the Women’s Funding Action Group
Siobhan Riordan, University of East London, June 2003

List Family Foundation Research: The Women’s UK Voluntary Sector
Centre for Creative Communities, London, December 2004

Report of seminar organised by the Women’s Trust Fund
Verene Nicolas, October 2001

Survey on sources of funding for women specific work
Verene Nicolas, The Women’s Trust Fund, June 2001

Women’s Organisations in UK Civil Society
Siobhan Riordan, University of East London, 2000

Supported by:

List Family Foundation (LFFL)

Bird & Bird

Email to a friend | Email us your comments | Back to Top

© 2007 Centre for Creative Communities