PAST MEETINGS (24/25)
May 2024
SITWD Supports its President’s Charity, Survivors’ Network
Survivors’ Network is a charity established in 1990 by a group of female survivors of childhood sexual abuse to provide services to support other female survivors. Their stated mission at the start was to provide relevant and accessible services to women sexually abused in childhood and to prevent it happening in the future. SITWD President, Cat Mennell, invited representatives of the charity to a club meeting on 20th May 2024 to talk about the work that they do.
Survivors’ Network has grown into an organisation that offers a range of professional services to survivors of any gender and all ages who have experienced any form of sexual violence, recent and non-recent. The charity, based in Sussex, supports all who have experienced abuse at any time in their lives providing advice, counselling and self-help groups. SITWD is supporting their work during 2024/25.
Guest speakers, Fiona Gray and Mouse May from Survivors’ Network, gave a talk, illustrated by slides, about the services being provided. They run the rape crisis centre for Sussex alongside a range of online and in person groups. 90% of their referrals involve women. They currently have 46 staff with 17 volunteers.
June 2024
SITWD Supports Mind West Kent
Mind West Kent is an independent charity, one of over 100 Mind organisations affiliated to the national charity, Mind. It covers the districts of Tonbridge & Malling, Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks, supporting people to Get Well, Stay Well and Thrive in their local community. They ensure that anyone with a mental health problem has somewhere to turn for advice and support. The training manager from the charity,Ceri Hodgkin, was invited to a club meeting to talk about the work that they do.
Mind West Kent has seen an increasing demand for their services which include counselling, creative groups and support programmes due in large part to the rise in domestic abuse cases where referrals are madethrough professional channels such as DAVSS, the local domestic abuse charity. They provide invaluable advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. However they are reliant on donations and grants to continue this work and to try and meet demand.
In her talk, Ceri focused, in particular on their work with children and young people, talking about the effects of social media on mental health.
November 2024
SITWD Supports Amnesty International
Amnesty International is the world’s largest grassroots human rights organisation. It looks to expose abuses and educate and mobilise the public to create a safer and more just world. A representative from the Kent Network of the organisation, Graham Minter, came a club meeting 2024 to talk about the work that they do.
The Kent Network launched in 2020 and currently has around 200 members. They work across 22 parliamentary constituencies, trying to build relationships with local MPs and communities to promote and protect human rights across the world. They take part in local events and currently are involved in three campaigns, the ending of Palestinian apartheid in Israel and the occupied territories, the scrapping of the UK’s counterterrorism strategy ‘Prevent’ in relation to Racial Justice and campaigning to have Economic, Social and Cultural rights protected in law in the UK.
The talk included a particularly compelling video showing the delivery of Write for Rights post (see projects) to a woman being supported and the delight that engendered. He mentioned the events that the group had attended, the monthly newsletter and speaker meetings. He also spoke about the refugee issues in Kent. After his presentation, he answered questions raised by club members and promised to consider further what members could do to support the organisation in relation to gender issues.
January 2025
SITWD Supports Active Hearts and Minds (AHM)
AHM provides group arts and leisure activities in West Kent. At its heart is the creative and personal fulfilment of its members who include people with and without disabilities. All activities are provided free of charge and its projects are funded through sponsorship, gifts, and grants. SITWD President, Cat Mennell, invited Sue Marlow from AHM to a club meeting on 20th January 2025 to talk about the work that they do.
The latest estimates from the Family Resources Survey, run by the Department for Work and Pensions, indicate that 16.1 million people in the UK had a disability in the 2022/23 financial year. This represents 24% of the total people. There are common barriers seen that limit those with a disability to access leisure facilities. They include lack of accessible venues and facilities, lack of accessible information, financial constraints and mobility and transport considerations.
Sue gave a talk about AHM and how they worked, bringing normality to people, integrating them into the community and giving them a voice over what projects they got involved in. She talked of the power of the arts as a force for change which can enrich everyone’s lives and strengthen communities. She spoke of various projects that had already been undertaken at Tonbridge Castle, on railways, at Knole and in workshops. She also enthused about the different dynamic that the integration brings, how it helps carers and the joy experienced by its volunteers.