Discussing the issues women face today

Platform 51 will be holding a seminar at FEM11, the UK Feminista annual conference. The conference gets hundreds of campaigners and thinkers together to discuss the issues women face today and how to build a feminist future.

Platform 51's seminar, A different perspective: teenage mums and feminism, will give teenage mothers the chance to have their say about the challenges they face and open up discussion and debate about how best to ensure that campaigns for gender equality reflect the experiences of all girls and women.

The conference is on Saturday 12 November 2011 from 10.00-5.30pm at Friends House, 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ. Speakers include: Shami Chakrabarti (Liberty), Zoe Williams (The Guardian), Carlene Firmin (writer) and Bea Campbell (author and journalist).

There will also be workshops and seminars organised by: Fawcett Society, Abortion Rights, OBJECT, Southall Black Sisters, Women for Women International, Women's Resource Centre, Platform 51, Rights of Women, Centre for Women and Democracy, Women's Environmental Network, Imkaan, End Violence Against Women coalition, Women for Refugee Women and the White Ribbon Campaign.

Places are available to all, come and join in the debate and book your place today. For more information download the FEM11 flyer or visit the UK Feminista website.

Platform 51 delivers mother's day card to Downing Street

On Saturday 2 April two young mums from Platform 51, Kealy Hastick aged 21 and Katie Adams aged 21 delivered a large mother's day card to 10 Downing Street. The outside of the card showed pictures of Platform 51 service users with their children and the inside featured a letter to the prime minister including the results of our poll, what makes mums happy?

Over the last month we have consulted with mums through our website and centres to find out what makes them happy. The top five responses were:

• Education to make sure my children reach their potential

• Jobs with flexible working options and career opportunities

• Time to myself

• Affordable ways to spend time with my family

• Good quality, flexible childcare that I can afford

This consultation is part of our wider work on women's mental health and wellbeing. In January we launched a report, Women like me: supporting wellbeing in girls and women, which highlighted the high rate of low level mental health problems experienced by girls and women and the significant impact this has on them, their families and communities. We are calling for improved support services for girls and women to help build their resilience and for girls and women to be able to access appropriate support when they experience problems.

Helen Berresford, Platform 51's parliamentary officer, said: "we hope that the Prime Minister will consider the views of the mums that filled in our poll whilst developing the wellbeing index."

Katie Adams, a young mum from Platform 51 West Kent, said about delivering the card: "it was really good to go to Downing Street and hand the card in. I would really like to know if David Cameron got to see it. It was very strange to be on Downing Street, it was so peaceful and quiet compared to the rest of London. I just kept thinking to myself, not many people get to have this great opportunity."

You can see more pictures of Katie and Kealy handing in the card on our Facebook page.

Tackling negative images on young mums

Young mums from the Grangetown area of Cardiff decided the best way to tackle the negative perceptions of young mums was to hold a community event.  By planning, organising and budgeting for the event, they wanted to show that many young mums have vital skills, are capable and do achieve great things.

On the day there was a bouncy castle, face painting, henna tattooing and arts and crafts.  Around 200 women from the community came and took part as well as the local counsellor and the fire brigade.  A good day was had by all.

Today Platform 51 is celebrating International Women's Day

Today is the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. Platform 51 couldn't let this event pass us by without celebrating. We have events happening in our centres up and down the country and we are getting involved in the national campaign EQUALS to call for a more equal world. If you have ever wondered what Platform 51 is all about then now is your opportunity to get involved and attend an event near you.

EQUALS

Platform 51 has joined a partnership of charities called EQUALS. EQUALS was brought together by Annie Lennox to celebrate the centenary of International Women's Day. Together we're stepping up the call for a more equal world. And we want you to join us.

8 March 2011

Women like us: Cornwall's International Women's Day conference
10:30am to 3:00pm Berlewen Building, Trevenson Road, Pool, Cornwall, TR15 3SE

Platform 51 Cornwall are running a conference that will focus on the findings of our report Women like me: supporting wellbeing in girls and women. The conference will give girls and women a platform to share their stories, tell us about their experiences and to find out what support they need.

To book a place contact: lindsay.anderson@platform51.org or call 01872 263112   

Doncaster's celebration day
Platform 51 Doncaster, 21 Cleveland Street, Doncaster, DN1 3EH

Platform 51 Doncaster will be celebrating International Women's Day with an open day at the centre focusing on positive mental health and resilience. We will be serving traditional asian food from our cafe and there will be a traditional thai dance demonstration.

This is an ideal opportunity to talk to staff and find out more about services available at Platform 51 Doncaster. If you would like more information please contact doncaster@platform51.org or call 01302 309800

10 March 2011

Plymouth open day
Platform 51 Plymouth, Alfred Street, The Hoe, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 2RP

Platform 51 Plymouth are holding an open afternoon at the centre with a metal workshop and a cake making workshop.

For more information contact: plymouth@platform51.org or call 01752 671080

29 March 2011
 
Women like me: event to discuss health and wellbeing.
Platform 51 Warstones, Claverley Drive, Warstones, Wolverhampton, WV4 4QL

Our Bilston and Warstones centres are holding an event to discuss the research in our report: Women like me: supporting wellbeing in girls and women. If you are in the Wolverhampton area and would like to attend please download the invitation.

30 March 2011

Comedy night, Soho

More information coming soon ... watch this space!

Available From March 2011

Walking Home Film

Platform 51 Nottingham and Initi8 volunteers from Nottingham Trent University have created a new film dramatising women's experience of street harassment. Featuring the voices and experiences of real women.

For more information contact Gill Court at Platform 51 Nottingham: gill.court@platform51.org or call 07500 553 800

'Cook-off' at Platform 51 with celebrity chef Richard Phillips

On Thursday 3 February Katie Adams, a young mum from Platform 51 West Kent, will lead a 'cook-off' with celebrity chef Richard Phillips. Katie has been working with Richard on a project called Connecting families through food. The project aims to show the value of making healthy and tasty food on a budget, and how food can bring people together.

Katie discovered her passion for cooking while doing a course at Platform 51. She  found that cooking meals from scratch doesn't have to be expensive or difficult, and tastes really good. Katie took this passion and suggested Connecting families through food to O2's Think Big Programme. They loved it. She says it's: "time to wake up and smell the cookie dough! Let's work together and bust the myth of cooking being a long and tedious task and start sharing ideas and recipes which bring us together."

The cook-off will be lead by Katie and Richard. There will be five teams of two made up of Platform 51 girls and women. They will create different international dishes that are healthy, budget-friendly and can be created within an hour. Richard Phillips will offer advice and tips to the young chefs and taste the final results.

The cook-off will take place between 1pm and 4pm on Thursday 3 February 2011 at The River Centre, Medway Wharf Road, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1RE.