Spirit of Women Who are we supporting and why? We are working with charity Spirit of 2012 to offer grants of between £5,000 and £15,000 to organisations that improve the well-being of women and girls subjected to harmful gender norms and stereotypes. The Changemakers we are supporting empower women and men to create lasting change in their communities and sustainably improve gender equality, specifically by: Improving women’s body confidence and challenging objectification in all areas of life, including in personal relationships Challenging traditional gendered caring roles and the undervaluing of care The funded projects also meet the wider goals of the Fawcett Society and Spirit of 2012, which are to: Demonstrate that the activity will contribute to social cohesion, bringing diverse groups together to engage in their communities Challenge perceptions of disability, through the project activity itself or through ensuring inclusion of disabled people in the project activity Have a celebratory aspect in the run up to the 2018 centenary of women getting the vote. Celebrate these inspiring projects with us We chose to fund these projects because they are exciting, impactful and will make a real positive difference to the lives of women and girls. Celebrate them with us by telling your friends and family about them, and spreading the word on social media. Amina MWRC – My Big Beating Voice ‘My Big Beating Voice’ is a project which will see Amina MWRC (who focus on BME and Muslim women in Scotland) and Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre (ERCC) partner to develop workshops for young women to challenge perceptions of beauty and gender stereotypes and how these link to violence against women. They will explore their stories through prose, spoken word, and images, which will be brought together for an exhibition and live performances. Tweet about Amina MWRCVisit their Facebook page Blueprint 22 – Safe and Sound Safe and Sound will see Blueprint 22 run 16 workshops, attracting 100 women, to challenge objectification and promote healthy relationships. The workshops will include a focus on working with disabled women, who research shows are at greater risk of sexual exploitation. Tweet about Blueprint 22Visit their Facebook page Disability Wales – Embolden: Spirit of Disabled Women ‘Embolden: Spirit of Disabled Women’ will challenge the objectification of disabled women by photographing and interviewing Welsh deaf and disabled women role models, producing alternative stock images, and using these materials to develop and deliver a media campaign and workshops. Tweet about Disability WalesVisit their Facebook page Fearless Futures – Project Brave: Bodies Re-imagined And Voices Empowered This Fearless Futures project will support 48 secondary school girls to develop their courage, critical thinking and leadership in order to challenge normalised messages surrounding gender and disability. They will then take their learning out into their schools, collaborating on workshops to deliver to younger female peers, workshops with male peers, and a creative project to subvert preconceptions and re-imagine what is possible. Tweet about Fearless FuturesVisit their Facebook page Leap Confronting Conflict – Girl Story This project led by Leap Confronting Conflict will work intensively with 12 young women who are at risk of gang activity, supporting them to develop a positive self-image, challenge objectification, make safer choices and develop healthier relationships using a trauma informed approach, one-to-one support and workshops. Tweet about Leap Confronting ConflictVisit their Instagram page Stills – ‘House | Work’ House | Work is a new partnership project between Stills and Edinburgh Art Festival to explore themes of gendered perception within caring roles and the undervaluing of unpaid care. Through a programme of creative activity, in response to a new exhibition at Stills by artist Kate Davis, community groups in Edinburgh will create work in a series of workshops that will be showcased in an exhibition raising awareness of these themes. Tweet about StillsVisit their Facebook page The Runnymede Trust – Basketball Inspiration Programme Working in partnership with the Lewisham Thunder women’s basketball team, Runnymede will challenge objectification through sport, introducing disabled and non-disabled sportswomen role models into schools, and use basketball as a hook to bring girls into a series of personal development workshops on objectification and body confidence. Tweet about Runnymede TrustVisit their Facebook page Our partners Spirit of 2012 Spirit of 2012 is a funding charity, established with a £47m endowment from the Big Lottery Fund. We fund partners across the UK that provide opportunities in sports, physical activity, arts and culture, volunteering and social action. Spirit was founded to continue and recreate the spirit of pride, positivity and social connectedness that people experienced during the London 2012 Games. We invest to create good outcomes for people and communities. BE Group The BE Group is a market leading specialist in business information, events and commercial development programmes. With a well-deserved reputation for delivering exceptional results, BE Group’s comprehensive portfolio of services for business is based on the individual requirements of our customers. Manage Cookie Preferences