I sit across from a map of ‘Feministory’, the rarely told stories of female feminists in history, figures such as Mary Seacole and Audre Lorde look over to me and we relish in the celebration of women in this space together. On another wall, a handmade poster made up of a collection of passionate and desperate voices, all demanding justice for their experiences of violence or abuse. The tag line ‘Serving the time for his crime’ is emblazoned across them, echoing the importance of these walls and the people inside of them.
I am then joined by three women, with a lot more life than those pinned to the wall, Jo Flowerdew, Beth Williams and Nicky Wood. Specialist support worker, office manager and volunteer coordinator, and all key cogs in the machine that is the Women’s Centre Cornwall, spearheading change, activism and ultimately offering this space and support to women in need.
They sip from their mugs of tea and talk with me about some of the projects that they work on at the Women’s Centre. On that day, the DIVAS were on site, a group of women with learning disabilities and autism who fight for their rights against discrimination and abuse, one of many vital projects the Centre run for local communities. The main project we reflected on in our conversations however was a safe space project they recently helped to run, which also happened to be how I first encountered the Women’s Centre. Sat together into the early hours of the morning, we were unified by passion and our gender alone, awaiting the opportunity to provide safety and offer a respectful space to members of the public in Falmouth, both men and women alike.
Being a part of the project was an experience I won’t soon forget, the conversations broached topics I’d never had the opportunity to before, everything was on the table, from pornography and its effects on views of consent, to documentaries and podcasts that highlight important aspects of sexual violence and domestic abuse stories. One topic after the next arose and what began as a room full of strangers, soon became a group of friends; of all backgrounds, ages and experiences, but nonetheless we were friends.
During our catch-up at the Women’s Centre, we wandered onto the topic of sex education, our discussions at the Safe Space often came back to better equipping young people with education about sex and relationships. Beth, the office manager, voiced how it was important ‘that RSE (relationship and sex education) had an emphasis on the nature of consent and what informed and active consent really looks like.’ Referencing the training all workers at the Women’s Centre undergo, she said that they teach it as an ongoing and enthusiastic ‘yes.’ Which fundamentally links to why these specialist support workers were beckoned to the small seaside town in the first place. Falmouth is estimated to be the highest populated town in Cornwall, and furthermore it has been battling a problem with non- domestic violence against women and girls' crimes, which are one third higher than wider Cornwall. By these women bringing their compassion and skill sets to the town, they allowed people in need to disclose experiences of abuse or violence or just chat with a group of understanding women. Jo Flowerdew, one of the main faces behind the project reflected on it saying, ‘it’s always beautiful to sit in circles of women and men and take that time to understand how life is impacting them.’
The beauty of these connections, however short term they were on the two-week pilot scheme of the project, were important to people and had the power to help. The bottom line of the Women’s Centre Cornwall is that they are a network of support, there to help in whichever way that they can. And all the conversations in the space and in the Centre itself come back to the wider topic of violence against women and girls (VAWG), the cause remarkably close to all their hearts, and at the core of the Women’s Centre. The place shows it too, with every wall being adorned with empowering posters or beautiful crafts made in workshops on various projects. It is alive with female empowerment and unlike any other place I have ever been; a space for women, ran by women which was evident everywhere that I looked.
The passion for their work came through in how they spoke about the projects, excursions, and day trips, like hiking through the woods with a group of survivors, all in a non-conventional day’s work for this team. For each survivor who walks through the doors or calls the helpline, the team dedicate their energy and time to them. They care for each individual as they would a friend and try to help in any way they can, whether that be a simple chat to help them wrap their heads around a situation or inviting them on a day trip with other survivors. Whatever it may be, the individuals behind the Women’s Centre are always there to help.
And with each story they told me and the spaces they showed me around the center in North Cornwall, the love and joy they gained from this work was plain to see. They loved being there, doing a job that no one can call easy, to support survivors of abuse or violence. To be there when they are needed and create as safe a place as possible for those in need to come, to not say the wrong thing and to treat every person who walks through the doors with respect. Every day they must acknowledge the cruelty that people can possess and the kindness that it kills, and to acknowledge it only with further kindness. It is a job few would be able to do, but they take it in their stride and evidently love doing it.
When sat beside these people who make a difference to many lives just by showing up to work every day, it’s almost impossible not to be inspired by what they do. A cause that couldn’t be more worthy and people who couldn’t be a better fit for the roles. Many of the volunteers and workers there once were service users, and so they can now be the person who they themselves needed across from them at their times of struggle. The energy of the Women’s Centre followed Nicky, Jo and Beth and the multitude of other specialist workers and volunteers wherever they went, evident from the safe space project in Falmouth, it was transferable energy only possible because of them. The Women’s Centre and what it provides is only able to do what it does because of the women working there day in and day out, bringing their radiant and empowering energy along with them to care, listen and most importantly to help.