Held at our Althorpe Street centre between 12.30 and 2.30pm every Wednesday, Akeeva women’s support group offers a warm and welcoming place for women to gather.

The name of the group, ‘Akeeva’ was chosen by the women who attend the group and means to protect and shelter, with each letter representing the words ‘acceptance’, ‘kindness’, ‘empowerment’, ‘empathy’, ‘values’ and ‘achievement’- core principles which underpin the ethos of the group.

Led by a qualified women’s support worker, supported by volunteers, the project offers company, comfort and practical help to women facing issues such as addiction, domestic abuse or homelessness. It provides a safe space in which women from all backgrounds can talk, share and rest in an atmosphere of total trust and no pressure.

The project is about connection and cultivating a sense of belonging. All the women that join us are welcomed into our community and become a valued part of it. That sense of community brings collective strength and purpose, and we all share in the joy when an individual turns their life around.

As well as the weekly support group, this year the ladies have been learning how to make things with resin and have been making coasters, tealight holders, keyrings and bookmarks to sell in the charity shop and at events. Some ladies have loved turning this into a social enterprise working out costings and a plan to market, whilst others have embraced their creative side to produce beautiful items.

In 2025