The Women Kind Project

The Women Kind Collective (aka. The Women’s Shed) was established after receiving funding from the Commonwealth Governments Black Summer Bushfire Recovery and Resilience Funding, to provide opportunities for women of the Manning Valley bushfire effected communities to come together and find space in healing and recovery through connectedness and empowerment within community with other women.

The project aims to empower local women through a means of connection and capacity building through programs, workshops, classes and upskilling, and through the sharing of these skills; it invites local women to share their skills and knowledge with others and learn new ones along the way whilst establishing meaningful new relationships in a safe and supported space. The project also aims to provide a space for healing and recovery through connection with other women, as in line with the latest trauma recovery research. 

The project is funded until March 2024, with sustainability also being an ongoing focus point of coordination of the project. The project will offer barista training for women and young people, to support skill building, along with local employment opportunities. In the new year, the project will also see the implementation of further social enterprise; offering the consignment sales of local women makers wares within the space.

This aims to further support local women in establishing and building their businesses, minimising overheads for them, promoting their skills and wares and providing a small percentage back to the ongoing costs of the project to further support future workshops and resources not otherwise covered within the funding scope. Further to this, the new year also looks to see 2 other social enterprise activities established; Lady Tradies – handy women providing handy work service to locals and a domestic and commercial cleaning service. The space is also available for hire and includes a back office for co-location, with women specific support services to commence outreach from the space in the coming months.

Current programs running regularly include: Love, Peace and Harmony Meditation, Art with Irene, Craft and Connect, The Book was Better Book Club, the “I’m off to Book Club” Social Book Club and Women’s Circles. Currently, additional workshops and activities are booked each month, including belly dancing, water colour painting, repurposing clothing and op-shop tour, Indigenous art, SafeTalk program, Halloween decorating and pumpkin carving, to name a few.

Follow the Women Kind Collective on socials:

Calendly – Women Kind Collective

The Women’s Shed (@women_kind_collective) • Instagram photos and videos

Women Kind Collective | Facebook