What We Do
Training & Mentoring
We offer training in all aspects of social entrepreneurship including key skill development, enterprise ideation and incorporation, business planning and strategies for growth, and overcoming barriers to entrepreneurship such as English language skills or raising start-up capital. We focus on delivering interactive, practical training programmes that enable women to develop new knowledge and skills and then immediately gain experience of putting it into practice in real working environments such as cafes, market stalls or community workshops. We also offer mentoring and ongoing support over the longer term to ensure that women from any background are empowered to take the seed of an idea and grow it into a thriving social enterprise.
Exploring Enterprise Training
‘Exploring Enterprise’ provided 30 hours of flexible employment and skills training for 24 refugee women in Sheffield. The training covered the basics of enterprise, language for business, customer service training as well as general key life and employability skill development. Alongside the core training, each of the women received ongoing mentoring to offer one-to-one support with their start-up or business growth plans. The project led to the creation of several new start enterprises in the community, as well as the growth of the existing businesses of participants.
Minibus Driving & PA Training
Globalmama organised two women-only minibus driving training sessions with Sheffield Community Transport. 20 women attended and all 20 women passed. The training was designed to empower women and provide independence. Some of the participants are now working with community groups, providing transportation for people isolated by accessibility needs e.g. those with disabilities and the elderly. A further 20 women who did not hold a driving license received personal assistant training, and can now act as helpers in their communities.
Health & Well-Being
We believe that healthy and confident women are best placed to fulfil their potential. So we deliver health and well-being activities for women of all ages to build confidence and self-esteem, encourage healthy lifestyles and create a proactive mindset for the future. Our activities include regular sports and fitness sessions, creative arts classes and social activities to bring the community together and reduce isolation.
Activate
‘Activate’ sought to create a healthier and more active African community in Sheffield. Focusing specifically on East African women aged 50 and over who are too often inactive and unhealthy, the project improved overall health and well-being by reducing the likelihood and severity of illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure and depression. Our programme of 60 activities included community walks, healthy eating cookery classes, yoga sessions, dance classes and other activities depending on the interests and needs of the beneficiaries. The project engaged at least 10 women in each activity with more than 100 women participating in total across the whole project.
Community Outreach
We empower women to empower themselves, their families and their communities. As a result, we encourage women to take a leading role in tackling issues within the community, especially those involving children and young people. We work with women leaders to design projects which reduce crime and anti-social behaviour, address isolation and loneliness and instill marginalised individuals with a greater sense of belonging in their community.
Empower Programme
Our ‘Empower Programme’ has delivered a number of successful projects in recent years working in partnership with South Yorkshire Police. The projects empowered refugee mothers to take a lead in managing anti-social behaviour in their households and neighbourhoods and reduce the number of young people at risk of becoming involved in gangs and knife crime, or potentially becoming radicalised.
Listen Up! Project
Listen Up! Was a project that created spaces for discussion about extremism, targeting young Muslim men who are vulnerable to radicalisation. It also taught Somali women who's children are at risk of radicalisation to spot the signs and how to respond. Inviting BAME youth to discuss racism, extremism and radicalisation helped to give them the feeling that they had a voice, explore complex issues and connect to and meet new people. This was so successful that they decided to form their own group called Positive Solutions.