The exchange allowed Women’s Aid Orkney team members to sit back and reflect on the breadth and depth or service they provide on a daily basis. It allowed them to feel proud of what they are achieving and the difference they are making. Spending time with some of the Shetland Women’s Aid team brought a real sense of solidarity. Relationships have been forged that will be beneficial on a personal level but also to the services more widely. There were enthusiastic conversations about future collaboration and finding ways to meet annually. At WAO we have been approached by numerous people who want to volunteer with us and we have been considering how best to start a volunteer program. Hearing from Shetland Women’s Aid about the ways in which they work with volunteers and also facilitate continued engagement from service users was inspiring and gave us lots of ideas.
Learning Outcomes
- Share learning around tools and approaches like Own My Life that can help promote culture change and engage local communities in efforts to prevent GBV.
- Learn how to work better to meet the needs of survivors of GBV across island areas, especially those on outer isles and in smaller communities. Gain an understanding of what support local groups are providing in their communities and how WAO can work with them to support them and their service users.
- Sharing knowledge on staff wellbeing, learning from other organisations how they champion the wellbeing of their staff.