WRDA Awarded £100,000 to support women into public life

Baroness Anderson with representatives of WRDA and Reclaim the Agenda.

WRDA is delighted to announce that we have been awarded £100,000 from the UK Government’s Engagement for Change Fund to deliver our programme, Grow, Lead, Change, designed to support people across Northern Ireland to build confidence, knowledge and practical skills in policy engagement, advocacy, coalition building, evidence gathering, media engagement and supporting women into public life.

The three-year grant, awarded by the Northern Ireland Office, will enable WRDA to work with people and organisations across the community and voluntary sector to develop the skills, confidence and connections needed to make their voices heard in the rooms where decisions are made. The programme will be open to people of all genders, while placing a particular focus on supporting women’s participation in public life and addressing the barriers that continue to limit women’s participation in public life.

The award was announced by NIO Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Baroness Ruth Anderson during a visit to the WRDA office. Speaking about the fund, Baroness Anderson said “Democracy thrives when all of us genuinely have the opportunity and skills to make our voices heard. The Engagement for Change Fund award will support community representatives  across Northern Ireland to develop the skills and confidence necessary to advocate for their work and the communities they support. I’m particularly pleased  that this work will include a specific focus on women, and I know WRDA are well placed to have a real impact.”

WRDA Director Anne McVicker welcomed the announcement, saying: “WRDA is delighted to secure this funding from the Engagement for Change Fund, and we are very excited to roll out our programme Grow, Lead, Change across the sector in the coming months. We believe this is a real opportunity for the whole community and voluntary sector and especially for grassroots women’s organisations to develop skills in influencing decision makers and getting their voices heard in the rooms where decisions are made. We are especially eager to work with groups that have never done this type of work, and we think the outcomes can be transformative.”

Grow, Lead, Change will build on WRDA’s long-standing work to advance women’s equality and participation in society. Established in 1983, WRDA works regionally across Northern Ireland. Through this new programme, we will draw on our experience leading policy and lobbying work, including our role convening the Women’s Policy Group and our previous work on Women at the Heart of Public Consultation.

Participants will take part in a structured programme covering key areas including how policy is made in Northern Ireland, effective advocacy and communication, coalition building, media and digital engagement, evidence and data collection, and supporting women into public life.

Over the lifetime of the programme, WRDA plans to work with at least 60 individuals to develop practical skills they can take back into their organisations and communities. The programme will be shaped by engagement with the sector during its development phase and guided by a steering group to ensure that delivery is accessible, inclusive and responsive.

At the end of the project, WRDA will launch an updated toolkit, building on the learning from Women at the Heart of Public Consultation, to support individuals, community organisations and public authorities long after the programme has concluded. This will help ensure that the £100,000 invested in Grow, Lead, Change has a legacy beyond the three-year funding period.

WRDA looks forward to sharing more details about how organisations and individuals can get involved in the coming months.