Looking Back at November…
Welcoming Our New Finance Administrator!
We recently welcomed our new Finance Administrator, Grace! She brings nearly 30 years of finance experience and the kind of calm only a lifelong crafter and oil painter can possess. When she’s not keeping the numbers in line, she’s usually creating something far more colourful. Grace makes a wonderful addition to the team and we appreciate her guidance, expertise, and creative flair!
Wrapping Up Feel Good Fridays
We finished off our 6-week Feel Good Friday programme this month. This programme was a great taster for over-50s to learn some rehabilitative chair pilates routines with Brenda from Perfect Pilates, and try out EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) Tapping Meditations with Holly, as a different way to release stress and tension and begin to rebuild their self-confidence.
We had 3 groups of women who attended two sessions each and the feedback was resounding! Over 60 women found the programme interesting and a fun way to look after their body and mind. Many women said that a longer programme would greatly improve their wellbeing so we look forward to hosting another programme in 2026!
Welcomed The Beginning of Our Novel Women Book Club
We held the launch of our new Novel Women Book Club on Thursday 13th November. The first official meeting is on Thursday 11th December, when we’ll be discussing “The Donegal Woman” by John Throne. Our next book will be “The Bookshop on the Corner” by Jenny Colgan, a copy will be provided to everyone who attends on the 11th December.
This group meets monthly and offers a welcoming space to enjoy great stories, share thoughts, and connect with other women. If you’d like to join, please get in touch.
Our Last Bus Trip of 2025: The Belfast Christmas Markets
What a wonderful day out! The FWIN Team were joined by 100+ women on our last big bus trip of 2025!
It was also the first accessible trip where we took a group of women on the train who normally can't come along on the bus because of wheelchairs or limited mobility. It was a great trial for making our future trips even more inclusive and we're so grateful for the women who came along on the train who will help shape future trips with their feedback.
This trip was a wonderful opportunity to connect with old friends, meet some new faces, and explore what Belfast has to offer. After a fun day of sightseeing and shopping, we tucked into a delicious dinner at Benedicts of Belfast, where the lovely staff had us all well looked after!
We wrapped up our day with a brilliant raffle that included a wide selection of donated prizes, including an overnight stay, courtesy of Benedict's!
We'd like to thank all of the lovely ladies who joined us on our trip. Your laughter and singing on the bus home was just the cherry on top of a great day out!
We'd like to thank Benedict's for making our event so special and donating such wonderful prizes! We'd like to thank Reddins Coach Hire who provided two great buses, and two even better drivers that made the journey as safe, seamless and as enjoyable as possible! We'd also like to thank Choice Housing who funded the trip and made it possible for us to help tackle such important issues like social isolation, especially during the winter months.
Have Your Say - Join A Focus Group!
The Women’s Support Network is researching inequalities in women’s access to support so a group of women took part in a powerful and honest focus group exploring their experiences of managing their mental health. The final report will be published in March 2026.
Our next focus group takes place on Wednesday 3rd December and will focus on women’s experiences of the Ambulance Service which will help to shape the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service’s new strategy.
More Focus Groups will be scheduled throughout 2026, so if you’d like to contribute keep an eye on our social media and let us know!
We hope you enjoyed looking back on a snippet of the fun we had in November! You can always visit our Facebook page to see what else we’ve gotten up to! You can also join us on our adventures by visiting our events page to see what else we’ve got planned.
