Historical background of Windsor Women's Centre
Windsor Women’s Centre originally known as “Women Too” was founded on the basis of the findings of the Blackstaff survey, which highlighted as a major concern, the fact that no facilities for women existed within the Blackstaff Ward.
“Women Too” began in May 1990 in a two up, two down, terrace house in the `Village’ area of the ward. Informal classes with childcare provided soon proved to be very popular in the area and the level of response from women of all ages demonstrated the great need and urgency of such a provision in an area beset by a host of economic, social and political problems.
The success of “Women Too” was such that the small terrace house was unable to accommodate the demand from women who, for the first time were encouraged to develop their self-confidence, to believe that they had a stake in the community, encouraged to embark on a series of learning which fostered their understanding of community and gave them hopes for a better life for themselves and their families.
Fundraising efforts by local women and support from the B.A.T Team led to the first purpose built women’s centre in
For those today it is impossible to imagine the impact that the establishment of Windsor Women’s Centre has had not only within the Blackstaff Ward but citywide and far beyond our shores. The centre has, since it, inception, operated on a non-sectarian open door basis, which given its locale, is a truly outstanding achievement and has proved to be a model of good practise for many emerging community groups, for statuary bodies etc: From the beginning Windsor Women’s Centre has striven to be as open, accessible and user friendly as is possible for an organisation to be.
The achievements of the centre have been widely recognised and highly acclaimed throughout
For many years the centre has responded to and catered for identified needs within the community without the benefit of long term funding and no government support, providing services which are often the responsibility of statutory bodies and indeed catering for women, families, youth, elderly, ethic minorities, the disabled, the learning impaired, survivors of violence etc: Windsor Women’s Centre is proud today of its ability to have initiated, expanded and developed these services in the face of adversity, lack of long term funding.
As a community based charitable organisation, dependant entirely upon its’ success in fundraising to sustain its’ services Windsor Women’s Centre has been remarkably successful. Successful not only in consolidating early achievements but successful too in that the work and services of the centre have developed, expanded and diversified in response to change in need, in policy and political change.
This success is reflected in the staff, management committee and volunteers of the Centre who have responded to change not as a threat, but as an opportunity for the centre to fulfil its fundamental aim.
Windsor Women’s Centre is unique in the area for the approach it takes to creating an environment that is safe and conducive to learning and which is itself accountable to the community from which it grew. It is the belief of the organisation that every woman has the right to access educational and training opportunities as a means of empowerment and of gaining a voice within their own community.
