Celebrating the women who inspire our community

An uplifting community event was held at The Arc on Friday 6th March to celebrate International Women’s Day, by hearing the stories of some of colleagues, tenants, and partners.

We heard from Sumaya Rahman, one of Ongo’s mental health counsellors, who shared her journey from being a single parent to becoming a qualified counsellor.

Not only does Sumaya work with Ongo, but she is also the co-founder of Wahid Woman, which is dedicated to empowering women in the Scunthorpe area through a range of support services, including personal development workshops and health and wellness sessions. Wahid Woman primarily supports women from diverse backgrounds, aiming to enhance their skills, confidence, and overall wellbeing.

Next, we heard from Jemma, Founder and CEO of Jen’s Special Place, a charity set up to provide compassionate and confidential support to families and young people struggling with grief, to help them to build resilience and find hope for the future.

The charity was established following the death of Jemma’s sister, Jennie, who had three young children at the time she died. Jemma made a promise to Jennie that she would take care of her nieces and nephew but found that there were no professional counselling services for children at that time. Jen’s Special Place was born.

It was a session of championing courage through adversity, and we’d like to thank everyone who shared their story.