March 2022: The first six years of the Women's Centre are featured in the newly launched archives of the Wages for Housework Campaign which celebrates its golden anniversary this year. The archives are hosted by the Bishopsgate Institute.
December 2021: Launch of the publication from our oral history project Remembering Eleanor Rathbone, the mother of child benefit.
January 2020-2021: mothers' campaign to save Carlton Primary School from closure. A mother from the Centre helped organise an alternative survey as the mostly Bangladeshi parents at the school could not access the official council one.
June 2020: Our environmental and social vision for Camden in 2050 was published in Envisioning Camden in the Camden New Journal.
March 2020: Open day at the Centre on our International Women's Day.
March 2020: Breastfeeding workshop with Solveig Francis, co-author of The Milk of Human Kindness. and Shoda Racheal, breastfeeding peer support and mothers from the All African Women's Group.
March 2019: Workshop on women in prison with Vikki Law, a former prisoner and prisoners’ rights campaigner in the US, opened a discussion on the problems women in prison face.
June 2019: We welcomed visitors from Malaysia, Tanzania, Thailand and the USA who reported on what is happening in their countries.
February 2019: As members of Camden Climate Change Alliance, we calculate our annual carbon footprint contributing to the production of a borough wide footprint. Our solar panels produce a third of our electricity needs. We received a Going Green Mark of Achievement from CCCA for the year.
February 2019: Discussion and debate at the Centre with Leanne Wood and Natalie Bennett discussing whether and how much women's involvement in electoral politics can change women’s lives.
October 2019: Volunteers were delighted to be invited by Women Against Rape to help with the staging of its play, No Bad Women, (based on the transcript of a path-breaking trial, the first private prosecution for rape), at the local Clean Break Theatre. Rehearsals and a reception were held at the Centre.
December 2019: our annual christmas party at the Centre. Christmas boxes prepared by volunteers through Food For All (which provides food for homeless people) meant every child took home a wrapped present and a soft toy.
November 2018 : For Black History Month, we looked at C.L.R Jame's seminal book in a public event at the centre.
September 2018: Drama workshop run by the East London Federation of Suffragettes based around the play, Liberty or Death written by Syliva Pankhurst.
October 2018: London Ambulance Service ran a second first aid-training workshop for all staff and volunteers at the Centre. All participants received a certificate
July 2019: Caring Consultations with some 35 people, brought together a diversity of experiences single mothers, grandmothers, a psychotherapist, a midwife and a physiotherapist, breastfeeding peer support worker, and more.
November 2018: Survivors from the Grenfell community prepared for the first anniversary of the fire. Women from the Windrush generation have been meeting at the Centre.
March 2017: stall for the oral history research and interviews with over 150 women and men. The material gathered celebrates 70th anniversary of the first payment of Family Allowance.
July 2017: We hosted Southern Peasants Federation of Thailand and women human rights defenders from Thailand.
June 2017: Support not Separation, mothers facing problems with the family courts meet monthly at the Centre and has gone from strength to strength. Mothers and grandmothers (as well as supportive fathers) who have been unfairly separated from their children/grandchildren exchange experiences, support and encourage to each other.
Ongoing: The All African Women’s group of asylum seeking women has grown to include women from Eastern Europe, Iran, Latin America and other countries. Every week up to 90 women participated in self-help meetings, training workshops (below) and volunteer sessions to discuss their cases, offer mutual support and advice, learn how to help others with their cases, prepare for appeals, etc.
December 2018: Kids Christmas party - Local businesses once again pitched in with free pizzas, vouchers, presents for children and other help.
January 2016 : WinVisible women with visible and invisible disabilities group hold regular self help sessions for women facing benefit sanctions, health crises, reductions in homecare, homeware changes and other support available to them.
March 2016 : A visit for International Women’s Day by 15 grandmothers from the Scottish Kinship Carers provided a great opportunity for sharing experiences and learning about the different family court system in Scotland and England.
November 2016: We hosted a well attended exhibition and presentation, For Those Who Died Trying, with a spokeswoman from Protection International Thailand.
December 2016 : Our front room was packed with local children and their families who loved the entertainment by Ms Captain Fantastic as well as presents, fun, freshly cooked pizza and face-painting.
December 2016: Meeting to which staff, volunteers and centre users were invited to assess and analyse the strengths, weaknesses and possible future direction
February 2015: we celebrated 40 years of our
Women’s Centre with the launch of the film made by a young people's project at the Crossroads Women's Centre (see Feb.2014).
Living History, traces our different buildings
and history from 1976 to 2016. The launch night was packed full of young and old.
March 2015: Hosted the exhibition, Honour Mothers, Honour All Carers, at the Centre. Women and men spoke about their sisters, mothers, wives, daughters and friends.
July 2015: Women volunteers got training and were incorporated into the daily running of the Centre dealing with enquiries from the public, welcoming visitors, helping publicise and organise our activities, providing or arranging peer support, and more.
July 2015: we hosted a performance of Sylvia, a one woman play about the life and art of Sylvia Pankhurst written and performed by Jacqueline Mulhallen. Relatives of Ms Pankhurst also attended.
February 2014: Living History of the Women’s Centre – a young people’s project. The project grew out of Made Possible by Squatting, an exhibition shown in September 2013, for which a young woman artist had made a beautiful pop-up book to illustrate the history of our centre. They followed this up by recruiting and training a small group of young people aged 14 to 25 to make a film about the Centre involving photography, interviews, editing and design.
March 2014: Crossroads Children's playgroup runs fortnightly for children under five (in half-term children up to 10 join in) of asylum seekers who participate in self-help sessions at the Centre.
December 2014: Our Kids Xmas Party was a hit again with children and their carers alike. Over 30 local children under 10 and their families crowded in to watch Captain Fantastic’s interactive DJ extravaganza.
February 2013: The Centre continues to provide a base for self-help organisations and meeting space for other community groups and activities, including Breastfeeding support and advice.
May 2013: ‘Women Together Speak Up – Making Community, Tackling Problems’ Women have a lot to say and sometimes are not shy about saying it! Over 80 women and some men crowded into the Women’s Centre for our event on 9 November aimed at “giving a voice to those women whose needs are most likely to be neglected, especially in these hard times”.
May onwards: Holding weekly stalls on Kentish Town High Road and drawing in community groups such as Home Start.
October 2013: We were invited to Parliament Hill School during Black History Month (October) as “experts” along with members of the All African Women’s Group based at the Centre.
December 2013: Soho Santas at the French House Pub, Soho, raised £1,005.70 and had a wonderful time doing so!
March 2012 : Renovation of the new Centre was completed in March 2012. This included extensive adaptations to make the Centre accessible to people with disabilities, the installation of solar panels and other energy efficient measures to make it environmentally sustainable, and repair of a sheltered cobble-stone courtyard, now full of donated flowers, herbs and shrubs in pots. Moving in was a enormous but exciting task – from setting up desks and computers to fine tuning the layout and disability access arrangements.
April 2012 : We celebrated the launch of the new Centre with a party to thank and welcome friends, funders, volunteers and other supporters to our new premises. A delicious spread was provided by local specialist deli, Harry’s Food Hall, and wonderful performers entertained us with songs, mime and dance music. Deaf comedian Caro Sparks (photo above) had us all in stitches.
July 2012 : The new Centre was introduced to our neighbours and the wider community with a very successful Open Day. Three well-attended workshops, each with a sign language interpreter, and featuring Black Women’s Rape Action Project, Women Against Rape, Single Mothers’ Self Defence, WinVisible, and local homeopath, Jennifer Dooley. The Open Day also included a bric-a-brac, second hand clothing stall, toys, childrens entertainment and cake stalls.
October 2012 : We marked Black History Month with an evening event – From Carnegie Hall & the Edinburgh Fringe to Crossroads. Award-winning writer, actor and baritone Tayo Aluko performed ‘From Black Africa to the White House’. With original songs, Jewish stories, a lemon and a great comic touch, Naomi Paul presented a distinctive take on our times in ‘Reshape While Damp’.
February 2011 : Valentine raffle, fundraising and keeping the community informed. We organised several events, while talented supporters held benefits for us. As well as raising funds, these events informed different communities about the Centre’s work and progress, got press publicity, and engaged further support.
June 2011 : we had appointed Brian Power Building Services as contractors for the job, having also considered two other firms. Some items such as painting and decoration were taken out of the contract to keep costs down, and because so many people were coming forward to offer their time and skills, keen to make their mark on the final building. Before the full refurbishment could begin, part of the external walls were rebuilt and a new roof put on.
July 2011 : On- and off-site consultations with volunteers, user groups, neighbours and friends of the Centre helped us decide on a range of nitty gritty issues from the kind of flooring to positioning of storage. There was particular discussion around the lift, as the standard models on offer needed adaptations to suit more users with disabilities.
July 2011 : Magic & Burlesque Cabaret. Talented artists and performers entertained with comedy, dance, juggling and magic. They raised £923 and had us roaring with laughter. By the end of the year, our appeal for funds and grant-making efforts to refurbish, equip and run our new Centre had raised £212,000.
March 2010: We were able to purchase a property at 25 Wolsey Mews in December 2009. As the building was very run-down, we focused on preparing for its refurbishment. This has entailed: fundraising; on-site consultations with users, volunteers and user groups; involving neighbours and friends of the Centre; setting up a development working group.
May 2010: Throughout the summer and autumn we widely publicised our plans, inviting comments and involvement from local communities through mailings, leafleting, local press coverage, and Open Days at the new premises which were attended by 300 local individuals and families.
July 2010 : Local users and small businesses repeatedly told us that there is no comparable service in the community. A number of people offered their time and skills – from fundraising and leafleting to painting and decorating.
September 2010 : This website was set up to let people know about our new charity, the refurbishment, and the history of our Women’s Centre and of the new building; to promote fundraising events; and to be a contact point for supporters, donors and members of the public. It was later developed in 2016, to be what it is today.