How Manchester not-for-profit group Women’s Voices CIC has received a boost from a city centre hotel

A not-for-profit group working with ethnic minority women has received a boost from a Manchester city centre hotel.

Women’s Voices CIC was set up in 2013 and supports people from marginalised communities as well as helping to get their voices heard.

Now the group has received six months’ free use of a private working space in YOTEL Manchester Deansgate.

The hotel took to social media to ask which grassroots Greater Manchester organisation should receive the boost.

Who are Women’s Voices CIC and what do they do?

Women’s Voices CIC is a feminist Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) women’s group which was started in 2013 to address the needs of marginalised women in the community and give them a much-needed voice.

Based in Longsight but with a Greater Manchester reach, the group provides activities to reduce the disadvantages experienced by women due to their ethnic minority, immigration status or their gender.

The not-for-profit provides training, health and wellbeing sessions, English language classes, female empowerment programmes and support for victims of domestic abuse.

It has supported women establishing their own social enterprise groups, helped them volunteer at events and backed the launch of sewing groups and cooking courses.

Women’s Voices CIC also provides food parcels to women experiencing food poverty and financial hardship.

How has the group been helped by YOTEL Manchester Deansgate and why?

The CIC has now received six months’ free use of a private meeting room at YOTEL Manchester Deansgate as work space.

This followed a social media campaign which asked communities where YOTEL has hotels to nominate local charities and non-profits.

Opening its doors to local charities in a campaign that coincided with International Women’s Day in March, the hotel group asked people to nominate organisations doing incredible work for or with women in their cities.

The John Dalton Street hotel will now welcome Women’s Voices CIC into one of its private meeting rooms for one full day per month over the next six months.

Women’s Voices CIC is also going to raffle off an overnight stay for two at the hotel which it was given as part of its success.

The charity submissions were whittled down to a shortlist of five organisations which have been spotlighted on YOTEL Manchester Deansgate’s social media channels, encouraging their followers to explore the work the non-profits are doing.

The other four organisations were Manchester Rape Crisis, Safety4Sisters, Wonderfully Made Woman and Women Asylum Seekers Together.

What has Women’s Voices CIC said?

Nadia Siddiqui, director at Women’s Voices CIC,said: “At Women’s Voices we aim to provide a voice to women from diverse backgrounds who may experience disadvantages due to their ethnic minority, immigration status or gender.

“We empower women in our community to realise their own skills and build their confidence through activities like English classes, health and mental wellbeing sessions, peer mentoring or social enterprise training.

“We’re delighted that the local community in Manchester submitted Women’s Voices for YOTEL Manchester Deansgate to invite into their meeting spaces, and we’re excited to utilise this new space to plan for a busy year ahead.”

What has the hotel said?

Nick Harfield, general manager at YOTEL Manchester Deansgate, said: “We’re excited to welcome Women’s Voices into our meeting spaces at YOTEL Manchester Deansgate over the next few months and provide a refreshing new environment for them to carry out their important work.

“We hope our followers and local community have been able to discover some new and inspiring non-profits or charities doing important work in our communities, and we look forward to seeing the incredible work Women’s Voices do first-hand.”