Women’s Winter School
Sun 7th – Fri 12th December 2008
Bathing House, Howick
                    

This year NNWN’s winter activity week is all about trading using our NETS scheme. NNWN has provided the venue and the rest is over to you. You can offer to run an activity, share a skill, suggest a discussion topic, bring something along to sell, offer to make a meal, invite other people to make music - or just come along to enjoy the beautiful views and good company.

Events already offered include:

Sunday 7th December
NETs Seasonal Trading Event 10am – 4pm, Drop In for your Xmas shopping / trading and a chance to find out more about the NETs and how you can get involved. There’ll be mulled wine and mince pies, therapies and food to buy with your spirals. Bring something to trade!

Writing Workshop 4-6pm with Romi Jones
A chance to enjoy the beautiful space and company and talk about issues important to ourselves and have a go at putting pen to paper to develop your creative writing.
10 spirals

Monday 8th December 10-3pm with Sue Forrest and Susan Bryne
Forrest School activity at Howick Gardens. The philosophy of Forrest schools is to encourage and inspire individuals of any age through positive outdoor experiences. There will be a range of activities including cooking on an open fire; using tools to make mallets and kazoos or a wooden book; exploring the site and working with mud to create sculptures and develop the mud hut. Be prepared to get dirty and come with wellies or strong boots and waterproofs. Bring packed lunch and flask. More information on booking
20 spirals

Tuesday 9th December; 10-2 Personal Development Day
This is an opportunity to take some time for yourself and reflect - time to ask yourself questions about what you want in your life and how you might achieve it, time to consider what is holding you back. Look at issues of confidence and stress. Reflect on the changes you may want to make. This session can be accredited for anyone involved or interested in the Progression Award (more info on the day).

Wednesday 10th December
Sketching session 10-1pm with Sarah Riseborough
‘No straight lines allowed’ Drawing is a pleasure for al,l so come along and have a go, or if you’re experienced, bring your materials and enjoy the opportunity to work in a beautiful setting. Aimed at all levels of sketching experience. There will be a warm up session and then we’ll head out if the weather’s kind. Alternative indoor activities if the weather is awful! So if you want to loosen up your technique, or just begin making marks, this session is for you.
10 spirals

Mentoring & Befriending 6-8pm  : Food and meeting to discuss how we can develop  this service through the NETs scheme and up to date information from the Mentoring & Befriending Foundation.

Thursday 11th December
Sea Glass Jewellery 9.30 – 12.30 with Ellie Noble & Diane Stewardson
This workshop begins with a relaxed stroll on the beach looking for treasure such as sea glass, driftwood, pottery, hag stones and even the odd shell. We'll take our finds back to the bath house and use them make a Christmas present such as a pendant, mobile, "magic wand", tree decoration, earings, framed display, mirror or any ideas of your own. Beach walk approx 1 hour - wrap up warm. There may be a small cost for materials associated with some items.
10 spirals

Xmas Wreaths 1-3pm with Lyn Watson
Make your own Xmas wreath from natural materials gathered locally. Basic materials supplied but bring any ribbon or sparkle to make your individual creation!
10 spirals

Friday 12th December
10-3pm Northumberland Women’s Networking event for organisations working with women.
3-7pm Fourth Action Board Meeting

To book for any of these activities click here to download form>>
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Join the LINk - Local Involvement Network

There is an opportunity to get involved in a new network, which exists to enable ordinary eople and groups to have a say about health and social are issues. The LIINk has legal powers to investigate services where improvements could be made so it has real teeth as long as people get involved and use them. The LINk will meet regularly in three areas of the county, and in North Northumberland, there will be workshops and information displays in each market town during December and January. More information about the LINk is on the website www.northumberlandlink.org.uk and you can download a membership form from there or here>>>

If you have any health or social care issues you would like to raise please feel free to ring Julia on 07775 827544 for an initial conversation.

Moving On Up programme - feedback survey

NNWN has been running the Moving On Up programme for the last 18 months,  encouraging women who are facng change or other challenges to set some goals for themselves and take steps towards achieving them. The programme has offered mentoring, support and learning opportunities to over 100 women. As the programme draws to an end, we are evaluating Moving On Up to help NNWN to review how best to continue the mentoring and befriending work and to continue to offer opportunities to learn and progress. 

If you have been involved in the programme, either as a participant or a partner, trainer, referral organisation or funder, we would like to hear from you! Please follow this link to our brief online survey which should take no more than five minutes to complete.

Here to take survey

Fourth Action AGM

The Annual General Meeting of Fourth Action took place on 15th July, at the Bailiffgate Museum, Alnwick.

It is three years since Fourth Action became a company limited by guarantee in order to expand its scope to work with a ramge of people in the community, and to 'promote equality with communities.'

The evening was a chance to recognise the many achievements of everyone who has taken part in new learning this year, to hear about some people's personal journeys, and to help plan new directions and projects for the coming year. Fourth Action also recruited some new directors, Annie Bromwich Alexandra, and Pummi Mattu. After their first Baord meeting next week we will share some more information about them and other Baord members, and some photos of all our amazing 'graduates.' 

Join the

Women's Workshop in 2008!

We are continuing to run self build activities between now and December 2008. Please contact Hala if you are interested in getting involved - hala@nnwn.org  or phone 07708064656

Fourth Action is now a next step provider!

What's that??

We can now offer support to any adult who would like their skills recognised through gaining new qualifications or advice about work. We can a one-off session looking at where you want to go next, and ideas for making progress towards your goals.

For more information visit the Nextstep Northumberland website or contact Julia on 07775 817544.

A Woman's Place

Visit the new section on the website from the link at the top, to find out more about our exciting new international project, which is about exploring women's role in rural development, using networking and training to learn from eac other. On 6th-8th October a group of 15 women and children travelled to  Wirksworth in Derbyshire to take part in heritage skills activities and to find out more about the College of the Peak. Then on  27th and 28th October the women from Derbyshire came up to help with the Women's Workshop - find out more by following this link.
On 16th November we were invited to Co Wicklow, Ireland by the local Leader+ scheme to a seminar for women's groups and networks on how we can use networking to help develop our projects and keep women's issues high on the rural agenda. To read about the seminar follow this link

Action on Domestic Abuse

Over the next few weeks and months there will be a number of press releases about what is happening from a multi agency perspective in North Northumberland to tackle Domestic Abuse.
More information about domestic violence and support services in North Northumberland here.
The leaflet is also available to download in Polish,  Portuguese  and Russian
If you would like further information or printed leaflets to display please contact
Gerald Connor
Community Safety Officer & Anti Social Behaviour Co-ordinator
gc@berwick-upon-tweed.gov.uk
01289 301766
07738883291
or
Steph Argo, Cease 24, 01668 283221
cease24@tiscali.co.uk

Confidence Building and Personal Development - Short Course Opportunities

We hope to be able to offer some courses over the next year. If you are interested please let us know so we can tailor courses to needs.

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Promoting gender equality and other diversity awareness days

If you are interested in equality and would like an update on recent developments, plus a chance to meet like-minded people and have a say on your issues, there are various opportunities to take part in seminars, events for particular groups - let us know if you are interested. 
There are also general opportunities for equality and diversity training in the next few months. For more details contact Julia on 07775 817544

Women Writers' Group

Register your interest in joining the group, which meets regulalry to offer support to anyone intersted in developing their creative writing. Contact romijones@globalnet.co.uk