Asha Women's Centre developing women's resources

The Asha women’s centre is a women only community project offering a safe, non-judgmental environment for vulnerable women to access a wide range of community resources that will improve both social and economic proficiency and participation, as well as raise levels of emotional competence. We aim to enable and empower women to tackle problems that may contribute to isolation and social exclusion.

The ethos of the Centre is normalisation, and enabling users to take control of their lives is an objective for all. Asha helps women to address their problems and achieve their potential by offering a starting point from which to achieve personal development and improved economic stability.

User involvement in the operation of the Centre, through opportunities for volunteering, helping with fundraising and paid part-time employment is an essential element of Centre provision.

The key characteristic of the women with whom we work is that they are affected by multiple disadvantages. They are socially excluded, considered “hard to reach” and do not engage with main stream services. The most common problems are isolation, lack of confidence, depression, phobias, domestic violence and abuse, housing issues, lone parenthood, substance misuse, lack of family support, financial problems and reliance on benefits.

We facilitate a “one-stop shop” single delivery point for women living in Worcester and surrounding smaller towns by the provision of  a range of services on-site as well as referring women to appropriate agencies.

We offer a range of resources and support interventions which encompass advice, support and educational and employment opportunities that engage women and support them to rebuild their lives.

Asha is based in a well-equipped and spacious building in a central Worcester location, an environment which in itself can have a positive impact on a sense of well-being. There are good transport links from surrounding areas and other Worcestershire towns by train and bus. There is disabled access, including a disabled toilet on the ground floor.

Who  is Asha for?

Although Asha was originally set up to provide services to women offenders, the scope of the project has expanded to include other vulnerable women, and is particularly aimed at the following groups of women:

• from lower socio-economic groups
• offenders and those at risk of offending
• who have experienced sexual and/or physical abuse as children or adults
• victims of crime
• from minority ethnic communities, specifically from Pakistan and Bangladesh
• recovering from drug and/or alcohol abuse
• experiencing mental health difficulties
• low self-esteem and confidence.