Local not for profit Women’s Voices CIC will receive free working space for six months in YOTEL Manchester Deansgate’s city-centre meeting rooms. Following a social media campaign for YOTEL’s local community to nominate local charities and non-profits to win six months free working space, Women’s Voices CIC were chosen, with their services including empowering ethni minority women through social, cultural and educational activities, food parcel distribution and more.
Opening its doors to local charities for International Women’s Day in London, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh the hotel group asked for charity submissions across social media, with nominations for organisations doing incredible work for or with women in their cities. YOTEL Manchester Deansgate will welcome Women’s Voices into one of the hotel’s private meeting rooms for one full day per month over the next six months.
Women’s Voices CIC is a feminist Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) women’s group set up in 2013 to address the needs of marginalised women in the community and give them a much-needed voice. Based in the heart of Longsight but with a Greater Manchester reach, Women’s Voices CIC provides activities to reduce the disadvantages experienced by women due to their ethnic minority, immigration status or their gender. The not for profit organisation can provide everything from training, health and wellbeing sessions, English classes, women empowerment programmes and supporting victims of domestic abuse. They have supported women in the local community to establish their own social enterprise groups, volunteer at events or even start their own sewing groups and cooking courses. Women’s Voices CIC also provides food parcels to women experiencing food poverty and financial hardship. To learn more about the organisation visit www.womensvoices.org.uk
Nadia Siddiqui, Director at Women’s Voices said “At Women’s Voices we aim to provide a voice to women from diverse backgrounds who may experience disadvantages due to their ethnic minority, immigration status or gender. We empower women in our community to realise their own skills and build their confidence through activities like English classes, health and mental wellbeing sessions, peer mentoring or social enterprise training. We’re delighted that the local community in Manchester submitted Women’s Voices for YOTEL Manchester Deansgate to invite into their meeting spaces, and we’re excited to utilise this new space to plan for a busy year ahead.”
As a small thank you for all of their work in Manchester’s local community, the hotel has also offered Women’s Voices a complimentary overnight stay for two in YOTEL Manchester Deansgate, for the charity to use however it wishes. The charity has chosen to raffle off the overnight stay as part of its upcoming fundraisers.
Charity submissions were whittled down to a shortlist of five organisations spotlighted on YOTEL Manchester Deansgate’s social media channels this month, encouraging followers to explore the incredible work these non-profits are doing in their local communities. The hotel’s charity shortlist was; Women’s Voices, Manchester Rape Crisis, Safety4Sisters, Wonderfully Made Woman and Women Asylum Seekers Together.
Nick Harfield, General Manager at YOTEL Manchester Deansgate said, “We’re excited to welcome Women’s Voices into our meeting spaces at YOTEL Manchester Deansgate over the next few months and provide a refreshing new environment for them to carry out their important work. We hope our followers and local community have been able to discover some new and inspiring non-profits or charities doing important work in our communities, and we look forward to seeing the incredible work Women’s Voices do first-hand.”
Aiming to give back to their local communities, YOTEL offered an inspiring space to work and collaborate in four cities in the UK, with hotels in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow taking part and hoping to provide organisations with room to grow in a welcoming and friendly environment in their city-centre hubs.
