About DWC
We have been delivering invaluable support for women in Derby and Derbyshire since 1978 and have established ourselves as a leading provider of women's support services in Derby. As a female-only organisation, we are ideally placed to support women who do not feel comfortable accessing this elsewhere e.g. if they have been victims of domestic violence. Because we are not a specialist organisation, our services are open to all women irrespective of cultural background, religion or disability.
We are a registered charity, and our charity number is 1135743.
We are currently providing support for women in Derby through the following services:
Women's counselling
We provide low cost women's counselling (delivered solely by female counsellors) for a range of issues. We are one of the few places in Derby to concentrate solely on women's counselling. The counselling service is oversubscribed at the moment and we're currently raising funds to bring in more counsellors to reduce waiting times. Please see the Counselling page for up-to-date information on the counselling service.
Employment support
Our employment support has helped women in Derby to get back into work through skills and support. The employment workshops have included support and advice on improving job prospects (e.g. writing CVs and cover letters, filling in job applications and preparing for job interviews) and enhancing qualities desirable for employment (e.g. communication and time management skills). Please see the Services page for updates on the next workshop.
Legal support
We offer free legal advice on Wednesday lunchtimes in partnership with Nelson's Solicitors. Please see the Legal Support page for more information on booking a legal advice appointment.
Mental health support
As well as our women's counselling service, we offer mental health support to women in and around Derby through workshops designed to improve confidence and self-esteem and overcome mental health issues. We also have a mental health support group in the form of the Phoenix Group through which women can meet others who have experienced mental health issues and gain a support network.
Support groups
We currently offer two support groups: the Freedom Programme (a domestic violence support group) and the Phoenix Group (a mental health support group). Please see the Activities page for more information on our support groups and how they can help you.
Coffee mornings
Many of our service users have first come to us through our themed coffee mornings, which are an ideal opportunity to meet new people. Each coffee morning has a different theme. Please see the Activities page for updates on the next theme.
Courses and workshops
We regularly run a range of courses and workshops aimed at improving mental health and wellbeing and encouraging personal development for women in and around Derby, including craft activities, arts activities, confidence workshops, assertiveness workshops and self development workshops. Please see our Activities page for details on current and future courses.
Complementary therapies
We regularly offer affordable complementary therapy treatments to improve mental health and wellbeing and these are always extremely popular. Previous treatments have included Reiki and hypnotherapy, and we are currently offering aromatherapy, reflexology, Swedish massage, Shiatsu and Indian head massage. Please see the Activities page for up-to-date information on current treatments.
Pregnancy testing
We offer pregnancy testing at the Centre for a small donation (£1). Please see the Services page for more details.
For a condensed version of what is currently available at the Centre, see our Activities Sheet, which will be updated whenever we make changes to our services and activities or check us out on Facebook and Twitter (@Derby_Women).
Our Aims
The main objectives of Derby Women's Centre are:
- To improve the physical and mental wellbeing of women in the Derby and Derbyshire areas
- To facilitate personal development
- To reduce poverty and economic inequalities for women in the local area
Our Values
- To provide a safe and non-judgemental environment in which women feel comfortable and secure
- To provide a confidential service based on trust
- To direct women to more appropriate organisations if we are unable to offer adequate support with particular queries or issues
Our History
Derby Women's Centre was founded over thirty years ago by a group of local women, who decided to host meetings in their own homes to tackle the needs of women in their community. From this came a free pregnancy testing service, an advice helpline and Derby Rape Crisis. These were funded solely by donations and income generated by the volunteers providing these services. In 1995, Derby Rape Crisis secured funding and moved to larger premises near to our current location on Leopold Street.
Our first 'home' was the Mandela Centre on Peartree Road. In 1982, we moved to a small room in the Guild Hall in Derby, and expanded again to larger premises in Green Lane in 1986. This allowed us to offer a wider range of services, and we were also able to provide accommodation to Hadhari Nari, a housing association which later became affiliated to Women’s Aid.
At this point, we secured financial assistance from both Derby City and Derbyshire County Council to assist with running costs. Through the Manpower Services Commission Community Programme Agency, we were able to fund two paid members of staff for two years. A Steering Group was established (and later, a Management Committee) with representatives from each of the user groups, and other women who were interested in being involved. At the same time, Hadhari Nari secured funding for their project and relocated to their current premises on St James Road, Peartree.
We remained on Green Lane until 1990, at which point we moved to our current premises on Leopold Street. This enabled us to offer accommodation to Karma Nirvana, a group formed by local women to assist others in making positive health choices. They remained with us until their move to the St James Centre in 1998.
We were also involved in the creation of Derby Women's Work in June 2003 following a partnership with the Edge Project. In 2004, Women's Work moved to their own premises and extended their services to include a nurse practitioner and counselling service.
Our Team
Alongside our team of staff, we are fortunate to have loyal volunteers who also play a significant role in assisting the day-to-day running of the organisation. Find out more about some of the staff and volunteers on the Meet the Team page.
Our Patrons
We are delighted to have Kavita Oberoi, Perween Warsi and Jo Brand on board as our official patrons. Find out more about them on our Patrons page.