Women's Project
We provide free, flexible and accessible English classes at local Family Wellbeing Centres (where free child care is available).
Our curriculum is determined by the women in the group, and the issues and concerns affecting their daily lives. The lesson content emerges through discussion, with women often offering advice from shared experience.
The group enjoy weekly drama sessions with Kiln theatre, part of the Arrive, Build, Create programme and Celebrating Our Stories: the Kilburn High Road Project.
We also run a monthly film club for refugee women with the Lexi Cinema, as well as other trips and creative workshops where women are able to build friendships and mutual support networks.
This project is made possible by funding from City Bridge Foundation, National Lottery Awards for All and Brent Community Grants Fund.
Sara's story
When Sara first came to Salusbury World, she had just arrived in London with her young daughter and was homeless and vulnerable. She spoke no English. Our advice team helped her to find secure housing and a school place for her daughter. With our gentle encouragement, she began to attend our women's project where her English fluency and her confidence started to improve. Despite being illiterate in her first language, Sara can now read and write in English. Today, Sara has a job in a local school, and she also volunteers for us, supporting women in the position she was once in herself. Her eldest daughter has just graduated from university and the whole family is thriving.
Olha's story: "I made friends and I felt part of this community of women."
“I knew some English when I arrived but not very much. I went to a coffee morning run by my daughter's school and the teacher told me about about Salusbury World’s women's project.
My first year in London was so hard and I felt so alone. In the group, I felt so safe and understood and everyone felt the same. The class is not just about learning English. I made friends and I felt part of this community of women. I’m still friends with the women from my class.
I worked in a bakery first and carried on with my English lessons at the same time. Then [the project manager] told me about a job as a library assistant at the school and helped me to apply. I got the job! Now, I also work as a Learning Support Assistant in the Maths department.
It’s hard to know what the future will be like but my daughter is settled and happy and doing well at school."
