Shama completed 35 years of community support in 2020. With all plans to generate sustainable incomes halted, we ploughed on, increasing our service offer to those most in need. But before the lockdown, we launched our vision to celebrate the various achievements of the last 35 years, by welcoming 35 local businesses on board as ambassadors. We want to celebrate not just the last 35 years but the last 12 months also, as it has been an extremely difficult time.
Our challenge
Shama Women’s Centre has been delivering vital services to women from the BAME community for 35 years. After all of funding was cut in 2014, we have been striving to stay open to enable us to provide a home away from home for those most in need.
With thousands of local people coming through our doors each year, our centre is a much-needed resource for the local community.
In order to continue to deliver these life-changing and sought after services, we at the Shama Women’s Centre must introduce new and innovative ways to trade and generate streams of independent income. We have a wide array of opportunities to develop activities that will enable the provision to become sustainable. In order to develop these income generation ideas, we require support and resource.
Funds alone will not allow the centre to grow and develop to support the community long term. The Shama Centre are looking to develop partnerships with local corporate businesses accordingly. This will help us build credibility within the business community and encourage further development of trading activities.
Our ultimate goal of the Shama Women’s Centre is to empower local women from different backgrounds to become socially, educationally and economically active.
Services include
- Crisis support for women suffering domestic violence, abuse and neglect.
- Counselling services for those that have suffered loss or bereavement.
- Educational, training and work experiences for women in a culturally appropriate environment.
- Onsite childcare provision.
- And much more.
We need the support of 35 businesses like you!
We are looking for local businesses to become corporate business ambassadors of Shama Women’s Centre by pledging £1000 in 2020. We are looking for 35 businesses who can partner with Shama Women’s Centre to deliver more benefits to the local disadvantaged communities.
- Crisis support for women suffering domestic violence, abuse and neglect.
- Counselling services for those that have suffered loss or bereavement.
- Educational, training and work experiences for women in a culturally appropriate environment.
- Onsite childcare provision.
- And much more.
Often, parents of young children shy away from putting their children into facilities where they cannot regularly see them; but at Shama Women’s Centre, their children are a glance away, allowing more BAME women to access our support without facing a multitude of barriers or guilt. Currently, we have reduced hours of nursery provision available but would like to extend this to allow more women to come and network, learn and be supported through our vast menu of services.
So why now?
In the past Shama Women’s Centre received considerable funding from local authority and Government sources to ensure vulnerable women could access these vital services.
Recent years much of this funding has come to an end which means we are reliant on other sources of income. We’ve had to reduce our service yet the demand has increased, we have struggled to do so on a shoestring budget.
We have been fortunate to have received various grants over the years, but understand that for us to continue to support the community, we need to access alternative opportunities, increase trading activity and develop sustainable activities. This funding will enable us to do exactly that.
What’s in it for you?
#35for35 will be launched later this year. A campaign that will allow us to raise the profile not just for the centre but for all our ambassadors too.
As a special thank you, Shama Women’s Centre will do the following for all the businesses who pledge support:
- A large banner to be created with logos of all 35 ambassador companies to be promoted at highly noticeable venues such as Chutney Ivy, Leicester City Football Club, Voluntary Action LeicesterShire and Pure Gym in the City Centre.
- Shama Women’s Centre will host a special thank you lunch to allow all the businesses to come together and network, collaborate and share stories.
- Feature in local magazines and editorials including the Chamber Business Network magazine, Love Business E-shot, Niche Magazine and Pukaar magazine.
- The opportunity to host a table at the annual showcase event to be held at a local community venue, with in excess of 200 guests. You may also display your own pop up banner as this event which will be an opportunity to highlight your support to Shama Women’s Centre, as well as be part of the PR and publicity of the event.
- All ambassadors will receive a special thanks from clients and service users that are further supported through the partnership, giving them a sense of connection to the service.
I'm interested in joining
