Equally Well — Empower Women for Change

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equally well mental health confidence boosting images

Equally Well is a capacity building project, funded by Mental Health Foundation

women staff and service users outside kelvingrove museum enjoying day out

This two-year project is aimed at enhancing EWFC’s existing mental health and well-being practices, bolstering its capacity, and advancing its future goals.

Inspired by our successful adaptation of Judith Herman’s Trauma and Recovery model (1992), the project seeks to comprehensively establish pathways that encompass:

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Safety and Sanctuary
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Empowerment
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Independence and Integration
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In contrast to most of our services and projects, Equally Well is uniquely tailored to provide support for all EWFC stakeholders, including service users, board members, staff, and volunteers.

The approach of Equally Well is characterized by inclusivity, involving stakeholders and the broader community in co-creating and adapting services to meet specific mental health needs. This fosters greater integration of stakeholders, strengthens our community, enhances knowledge, and encourages the sharing of experiences.

equip, build, benefit, multicultural women waving with speech bubbles

The project targets three capacity-building strands:

Equip the EWfC board, staff and volunteers with training in order to build on skills, knowledge and experience that can apply to culturally sensitive mental health and wellbeing practices and support.

Build the capacity of EWfC to offer robust, structured, and sustainable mental health support to women and their families.

Benefit from partnerships, community experiences, and shared learning.

The project has had a significant impact, achieving the following goals:

Increased awareness and knowledge of mental well-being tools among staff and volunteers through MHF training and peer learning.

Created opportunities for staff and volunteers to relax and recharge.

Established better relationships and peer group mentoring through quarterly meetings.

Integrated well-being into projects' designs.

Conducted in-house workshops for staff and volunteers to learn about mental health and support.

Facilitated learning on mental well-being with service users through the Inspired Woman Project.

"I learned the difference between mental health and mental illness. I worked out that the past must be left to the past, and we must live in the present as well and not worry about the future."

— Equally Well Participant

"I learned a lot today, knowing what mental health is and how to protect my and my family mental health. I got new information and no longer feel ashamed of having mental problems."

— Equally Well Participant