Our Projects Support Administrator, Davia, had a busy few days last week when she represented NCVS at three important events.
Thursday 7 March 2024
Nottingham City Council held an event at the Council House to celebrate International Women’s Day (8 March). It was great to see a full house, with over 300 people in attendance—many more than was expected! As well as enjoying a buffet full of cultural food and some very tasty cakes, as provided by NCVS, guests could chat with one of the many stall holders, attend one of the workshops, get their very own henna design and immerse themselves in the entertainment. Caroline Henry, Nottingham’s first female Police Crime Commissioner, also gave an inspiring speech about unity and women’s safety and launching the Nottinghamshire Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy.
The guests were treated to performances from the following:
- JME Dance Company, who gave an exhilarating performance to Beyoncé’s Grown Woman.
- Ladies from the Kurdish community, who beautifully showcased their cultural dance.
Davia was there to represent NCVS and the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector. Alongside chatting with interested guests, Davia also answered a short interview about the voluntary sector from some very eager students from Nottingham Trent University.
Friday 8 March 2024
On International Women’s Day, Davia was busy at two special events. She started her day at The New Art Exchange, where Al-Hurraya, partnering with NCVS, delivered the first Building Resilience in Ethnically Diverse Communities (Mental Health and Wellbeing) training session. The training is in response to findings that members of certain communities are more hesitant to talk about their mental health and wellbeing and do not seek out NHS services. Although Davia couldn’t stay for the whole training session (read on to find out why), she thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The training was well attended, with great engagement and lots of questions! With particular focus given to the question, ‘What makes certain people more resilient?’. Attendees shared their lived experience with poor mental health and wellbeing, which created an atmosphere of understanding and compassion. Two further sessions will be held on Wednesday 17 April 2024. Find out more and register for one of the training sessions here.
It was all go, and Davia was on the move again. This time, to the Nottingham Women’s Centre for their International Women’s Day celebrations. The event started with a quick history of Nottingham Women’s Centre (did you know it started back in 1971?) before guests could roam the many stallholders and enjoy the buffet of cakes and samosas. Davia was on hand again to talk about NCVS and the voluntary sector. She was able to have conversations with seven new people!
It was a very busy few days for Davia, but worth it - ‘It’s always great to see the diversity that Nottingham has, especially when it comes to the Council House, and how women can come together and bond during a time of need.’ Davia, NCVS
If you’re out and about and spot one of the NCVS team members, come over and say hi; we’d love to see you!
