Last week we held our first Hidden Voices Listening Group, and we came away feeling incredibly grateful to every woman who joined us.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences, listen to others, and help create such an open and respectful space. We know that speaking honestly about life’s challenges isn’t always easy, and we really appreciate the trust that was placed in us and in each other.
The Hidden Voices project is about hearing directly from women whose experiences are often overlooked or underrepresented. Rather than making assumptions about what women need, we’re creating opportunities to listen, learn and better understand the realities of life across our communities.
As a team, we spent time preparing carefully for the session, thinking about the conversations that might emerge while recognising the importance of approaching the group with curiosity rather than expectation. We knew there would be themes we anticipated hearing, but we also wanted to make space for stories and perspectives we hadn’t considered.
The conversations covered a wide range of topics, including health and wellbeing, experiences of local services, everyday challenges, opportunities, and the different ways support can make a meaningful difference. Every story shared added another piece to the picture, helping us better understand the experiences of women in our community.
This is just the beginning. The insights gathered through Hidden Voices will help shape our understanding of local need and inform how support can be developed in ways that genuinely reflect women’s lived experiences.
To everyone who joined us—thank you. Your voices matter, and we’re honoured that you chose to share them with us.
We’re looking forward to continuing these conversations in the months ahead.