“One night in December I came to the centre after fleeing domestic violence and being stalked/ threatened by my ex partner. I felt so alone. The JFW centre were fantastic, they supported me with the police and social services and got me into counselling. The support I’ve received and am still receiving has been outstanding. If it wasn’t for the JFW centre I don’t know what would have happened to me and my one-year-old daughter.”

Our Vision

Every women, child and their family should have the support, tool and opportunities to women to live safely, gain financial stability and lead enriched lives. 

Just For Women addresses the Mental Health needs of our local community. We have supported 7300 women, 230 young girls and 542 men, 85% have had mental health issues, 60% have been subjected to abuse, whether physical, sexual, emotional, historic, financial, or neglect, and 30% are social isolated.

Domestic abuse has increased during the pandemic due to women spending more time at home with their abuser, fewer opportunities to escape due to restrictions, being unable to work or low-paid means women find it unaffordable to escape, and older and pregnant women are more vulnerable due to shielding. In addition, it is well documented the negative impact economic downturn affects abuse, domestic violence, substance misuse, mental health and suicide.  Women who live in areas of high deprivation are nearly 40% more likely to experience domestic violence so it is essential

We are on a mission to provide the skills, information and knowledge women need to gain financial independence, escape poverty and abuse, and to lead enriched lives. 

“I’ve been married to a man for 20 years who mentally and physically abuse me on a daily basis. I know I had to get help when my mental health was taking a turn for the worst and it was affecting my job as a nurse. People were starting to ask questions. I got in contact with JFW who gave me so much support and help including counselling. They helped me with Karbon Homes to find me a new SAFE home. This place has been a god send to me, I know longer think about suicide which I have attempted twice. I’m happy to say I have my safe new home and its thanks to the ladies at the JFW centre. They are Stanleys Angels.”

How we do it

By providing viable support and counselling when needed, the Just For Women Centre provides a consistent place of support and wellbeing for women. Our unique provides ongoing long term emotional support, long term counselling as well as a variety of opportunities and experiences. We ensure the women who need one to one support and/or counselling wait no longer than two weeks.

Just start up is a business start up course designed for survivors of domestic abuse to gain financial independence, escape poverty and abuse, and to lead enriched lives. Women learn about the tools and skills they will need to set up their own business, how to use an industrial sewing machine and develop their crafting skills.

“I was abused as a small child and never got the support I needed. I went through life so messed up until my daughter got to the age I was when I was abused. I knew I has to address my issues and I was referred to the JFWC. They were kind and supportive, they put me into counselling and gave me a lot of support and help. Finally I plucked up the courage to go to the police for the third time to report this again. Its been a very emotional journey but I’m going to court and hopefully I will get the justice I deserve. I really cant thank the women centre and counsellor for their support. They really have went above and beyond in every way. They’re amazing.”

COVID-19 update

Since the beginning of the pandemic, we received a surge of requests for support for domestic abuse, mental health and social isolation. Over the last 2 years this has not slowed down and our support has been a life saver for many over this difficult time. Our local care home in Stanley was the first in the country to have a death due to COVID-19. Care home staff didn’t have the PPE to keep them safe or the emotional support they needed to deal with the devasting impact of COVID. Just For Women support our local care homes through mental health support for staff, and we delivered gift hampers to residents to raise morale. We have delivered over 10,000 hampers to our community. 

How you can help

£10 provides a craft therapy kit for an individual with mental health issues.

£25 provides a school holidays activity pack to a family living in poverty.

£100 provides a workshop for 6 women to develop their skills and reduce social isolation.

£800 provides wrap around support for one women for 12 months. 

When women support each other amazing things happen

Linda Kirk

After leaving social work in 2001 and training to be a depression consultant, Linda began working in the women’s sector. She could see the impact of recession on families lives and dreamt of creating a safe-haven for women experiencing abuse, mental ill-health and social isolation. She began to research women’s centres in England with the idea of setting up a retreat which would welcome women of all ages, backgrounds and cultures.

In 2011 she finally achieved her mission and set up Just For Women Centre, a place women can tell their stories, be listened to and supported. After selling her coffee shop business, Linda Kirk set some money aside to fund a centre in Stanley, County Durham for women. Utilising a lifelong passion for crafting, she harnessed the therapeutic value of creative expression to help those women to transform their lives.

Lestrynes Story

Lestryne worked as a residential social worker for fourteen years before retiring due to ill-health. She joined Just For Women in January 2011 as a volunteer. Her work included supporting and counselling women who attended the centre. Being an excellent crafter, Lestryne has passed on her crafting skills to many, many women. She firmly believes crafting as a therapy, capable of relaxing both mind and body. She is now a Just For Women director, PTLLS qualified facilitator, as well as a Cree manager, which allows her to extend her support work to vulnerable women in neighbouring communities.

Debbies Story

Debbie arrived at Just For Women Centre via the job centre. She initially worked 25 hours as a volunteer with the intention of staying for 3 months. With a few extensions on her time at the centre, she has completed a range of courses including PTLLS, Education & training assessor Certification, Mental Health Awareness, Suicide Awareness and others. Debbie was awarded for outstanding contributions for supporting participants at the Just For Women Centre by Durham Country Council Public Health, and Karbon Homes. Debbie is now a director and support worker at the centre. 

Through working closely with the women at the centre, Debbie has developed and facilitates her own courses, Disappearing women and Finding me. Debbie runs her own projects, manages the mens cree and young girls projects as well as overseeing the counselling at the centre. 

During the pandemic, Debbie came up with the idea of distributing hampers to our community. A project which started as giving 200 hampers to the local care homes residents and staff turned into 10,000 covering County Durham over a 12 month period. 

List of Awards

2011 – Nominated for UK Women’s Social Enterprise Champion Award

2011 – UNLTD Start Up Social Enterprise Award

2013 – Winner of Evening Chronicle North East Community Business Women Award

2014 – Durham County Council AAP Certificate for Outstanding Community Service

2014 – Durham County Council Adult Learning and Skills Group Achievement Award for the Just For Women centre

2015 – Winner of Superhero Police Commissioners Award for Services to Women who have suffered Abuse/Domestic Violence

2015 – Finalist of APCTC National Women’s Mentor of the Year

2016 – Durham County Council Stanley AAP Certificate for Outstanding Community Service

2016 – Regional finalist in Forward Ladies, National Women in Business Award, Not-For-Profit Business

2017 – Finalist of First Women’s Awards Champion Mentor in UK

2017 – Nominated for UK Social Enterprise Awards

2017 – Nominated for Individual Emma Humphreys Memorial Prize

2018 – Nominated for British Citizens Award

2018 – Nominated and awarded the Town Mayors Award

2019 – Winner of British Citizens Award

2021- Northumbria in Bloom - Silver guild award 

2021 - 12 Deeds of Christmas award from Karbon Homes awarded to Debbie Rogan 

Help us to support women in County Durham

Founder and CEO, Linda Kirk says “your support means so much to us at Just For Women. We are passionate about empowering women to transform their lives and donations from you help us to make that possible. As a social enterprise we rely on your purchases of our fantastic wellbeing products. Browse our range of candles, reed diffuser, loungewear, and craft therapy kits on our website www.justforwomen.org.uk. All profits from each of these items are reinvested to ensure every women, child and their family has the support, tools and opportunities they need to live safely, gain financial stability and lead enriched lives.