Our purpose is that women form a circle of support around them to gain strength and guidance, not just to overcome their own difficulties but to learn to help others. This is a 3-year project running from April 2022 to March 2025.
The Empowerment Circle provides a number of services together as one package, to help women on a journey of self-empowerment. The first step in the empowerment journey is often advocacy, which is the backbone of Roshni’s work. Due to multiple barriers there are many South Asian women who are suffering in silence, not knowing how to seek help. Roshni has created a unique place for those women, by providing a warm, safe and accessible space where they are given information and guidance in their own language, to help them out of their difficulties. We work side by side with the women until their situation is stabilised. Many of the women we support lack adequate English. Often they have come to the UK on spouse visas and restrictions placed upon them by their in-laws have kept them from integrating into the British society. The cultural barriers to freedom transfer from generation to generation, and many women who have been brought up in the UK still need advocacy support to realise their full potential. Our advocacy service is a lifeline to some of the most marginalised women in British society.
From advocacy, we move on to one to one coaching, with the aim of raising women's aspirations. Instead of feeling a victim, we encourage women to take positive action and write a new, brighter chapter in their lives, using all their talents which have been hidden so far. Our vision for women is that they excel and shine in all they do. Our service encourages self-care as well as aiming high and striving towards ambitious goals.
Our ethos is to enable women rather than taking over their burdens or creating dependency. Therefore we work with the women rather than for them. When women are out of their immediate crisis, we shift our focus to empowerment. We do this by helping women with an individual action plan to develop knowledge and skills to help themselves and others.
We have a whole range of services to help women to stand on their feet to become strong and independent. Women are encouraged to take up the following activities:
- Counselling: Our bi-lingual counselling is provided through a team of qualified counsellors of South Asian origin, who understand the unique cultural issues South Asian woman are faced with. We typically receive highly positive feedback from women undergoing counselling at Roshni.
- Drama-based English conversation class: We offer ‘Creative English’ classes which use an effective programme for teaching spoken English, without the use of paper and pens, developed by Faith Action. We find that after women with attendance of just ten sessions women gain a sharp increase in their confidence and start to use English in everyday life situations.
- Mental wellbeing course: We regularly run six to ten week courses, which includes sessions on relaxation, stress-management and art therapy. We have a rolling programme for these sessions throughout the year. Women are finding them immensely therapeutic.
- Parenting classes: We recognise that to meet the demands of motherhood, women need a space for relaxation and time out, as well as resources and support to practice positive parenting techniques, in order to raise strong and healthy children. Therefore, we run parenting seminars and courses. We also help women to access parenting courses at Sheffield Parenting Hub.
- Employment preparation courses: We run a practical course to raise confidence in women to take up paid work. The course looks at how to build knowledge, skills and confidence necessary for finding work. One to one support is provided at the end of the course to help women find relevant experience through volunteering, as well as completing job applications and preparing for job interviews.
- Developing hobbies: We regularly run courses to develop women’s hobbies, such as sewing, make-up, hair styling and so on. Our courses allow women to develop a hobby, either for wellbeing or as a stepping stone to getting into professional courses.
- Self-advocacy course: This course provides a thorough introduction to benefits you may be eligible for, housing, bills and self-advocacy skills.
- Digital Skills: We teach how to use emails, go online to order your shopping, managing online utility accounts or universal credit accounts and much more.
- Life in the UK test: Prepare for your Life in the UK test with us.
- Driving Theory: Cover your driving theory knowledge in a supportive group environment. Learn about online resources.
- Volunteering opportunities: We have open volunteering programme, with various opportunities open to South Asian women, who can give something back to the community whilst at the same time building valuable skills and gaining work experience. Every year, many of our volunteers successfully secure paid work. Please see our volunteering page for current opportunities.