AN awards ceremony to celebrate women's successes took place at the Mercure Hotel in Bridgwater on Tuesday, September 14.

Members of the 100 Women First project came together for a high tea to celebrate the positives that emerged from a difficult 18 months.

Tracey Armstrong-Stacey, employment and skills outreach officer at Sedgemoor District Council (SDC) said the pandemic can be 'very damaging' to people's mental health. And so she has been working hard to promote good mental health during the 100 Women First programme.

"I think one of the most positive things that has come out of the pandemic is that professionals are paying attention to our wellbeing and we are able to talk about our difficulties without having to feel ashamed," she said.

"The pandemic made us change the way we delivered activities and learning, people still needed supporting but we weren’t able to meet up. I had never heard of Zoom before, but we quickly adapted organising events online."

Events organised by the 100 Women First project have included:

  • A virtual quiz
  • Christmas Cracker craft event
  • Employability skills Clinics
  • Soft Skills Sessions
  • Transformative Yoga Nidra and Wellness sessions
  • A guided walk across the Quantocks to Cothelstone Hill onto St Agnes Well
  • Team building retreat at Wimballball.
  • Mental Health First Aid course
  • First Aid at work
  • Meet the Employer Hinkley Point C events
  • Business start-up and self-employment
  • Zoom bootcamp sessions

And there have been many more events too.

So far, there has been 127 women join up to the programme, with 58 taking up training opportunities, 48 back in employment.

There have been 17 who have started their own business, seven who have taken up volunteering roles and two who now have jobs at Hinkley Point C.