Thursday 28 February 2008

Welcome, welcome, come on in. Would you like a cup of tea?

This is my first post on the Women's Resource Centre blog. We've been kicking around the idea of a blog for a while, but for various reasons have put it on the backburner. But today - inspired by a podcast (http://www.theinternationale.net/content/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/keeping_it_fresh.mp3) I thought it was time to take the plunge.

"But why?" I hear you cry. "Is this really what we pay you for?". Well, yes and no. Yes- because WRC does get some funding to be the 'voice of the women's voluntary and community sector' and this blog is one more way to get the issues that matter to the sector a wider airing. For example, we're doing a lot of work on issues like the appalling lack of funding to women's organisations providing support to survivors of sexual assault and the difficulties faced by Black and minority ethnic women's organisations as a result of the government's current stance on 'integration and cohesion', and frankly we want to tell the world about it

We also want more people to know about women's organisations and the work they do. We started telling people through our why women? campaign (www.whywomen.org.uk), and it's a really important part of what we do.

And finally, we'd like to kick some ideas around with you in a less formal set-up.

But no, blogging is never going to be our core work or only way of communicating. As WRC's Information & Events Officer (or, as I prefer to be known, Empress of Communications), I'm just going to be sewing a new 'blogging' badge on to the already crowded sleeve of my Girl Guide uniform, and instead of hovering in the kitchen ready to rant at my unsuspecting colleagues as they try to make themselves a cup of tea, I might just put it down in words instead. So all it'll cost is my time, and since my time is precious but (thanks to voluntary sector salaries) essentially cheap, that seems like quite good value to me.

I'll kick off the blog proper soon. but until then, feel free to leave us a comment!

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