Notes from a Founding Trustee of the Amazing Women’s Liberation Collective
- OML Admin
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
At our charity's AGM yesterday, we said goodbye to our last first Trustee, Irene Hayes. We are indebted to Irene for all she has done enabling us to set up the charity and then keep us on the right path. Her attention to detail, commitment to the cause, and general brilliance will be so greatly missed. We wish her well in her new adventures. She shares here her experiences of being part of the charity from the beginning.
As I come to the end of my time as a trustee of The Women’s Liberation Collective, I look back with great fondness. I don’t think any of us who were there at the beginning had any idea what we were letting ourselves in for! Getting registered as a charity, creating policies, developing a strategic plan, and opening a bank account all proved more difficult than expected.
Then came Covid, which brought significant challenges but also new opportunities. Moving online turned out, in hindsight, to be a perfect fit. Over the years, the board of trustees has changed, but one thing remains clear: this is a very special charity.
How did you get involved in the organisation?
Like many of the trustees, I became involved through an encounter with the indomitable Natalie Collins in 2018. The Own My Life course was being piloted, and she was in the editing stage of her book Out of Control (a strong recommendation from me!).
We bonded quickly over our shared faith and values. I was struck by Natalie’s passion, and it was clear I wanted to do whatever I could to support her work. So when she invited me to be one of the founding trustees, it was a no-brainer.
What was it like to be part of the first trustees setting up the charity?
I’d love to say it was super easy… but anyone who’s started a charity will know it’s a real slog! None of us really knew what we were doing, and although it was sometimes frustrating, it always felt like we were working on something important.
The values we developed early on shaped how we worked together as a sisterhood. Our priority was getting charity registration and opening a bank account to access the funding for the Own My Life pilot. Sounds simple? It was anything but. It felt like forever before everything was in place, and small administrative details kept delaying us.
My top tip for anyone starting a charity: make sure your meeting minutes record the formal names of every trustee exactly as they appear on official ID. I didn’t realise until we were at the bank that my proof of ID didn’t match the name in the minutes! That meant an extraordinary trustee meeting to correct the records and having two trustees (who lived miles apart) sign everything again.
But we managed, and there was a huge celebration when the bank account was finally opened. The charity was officially in business!
What are the two biggest lessons you have learned from being involved in TWLC?
Attending facilitator training was a powerful and life transforming experience. Through it, I learned that women are amazing—when we work together, we support one another and can overcome any obstacle (you can find out more about the training HERE).
I also learned that there is always hope. The level of abuse, sexism, misogyny, and violence against women can feel overwhelming, especially in today’s political climate. But Own My Life educates and encourages people to see a better way to be.
What are you most proud of from your time with TWLC?
I’m most proud that I said “yes” to becoming a trustee—and that I’ve continued to stick around! I’m pleased that the charity now has a strong, financially stable business model that will help it grow and thrive in the future.
The developments so far have been transformational: for the charity, the trustees, the Own My Lifefacilitators, and ultimately for the women who attend the course and their families and friends.
Is there anything else you'd like to share or reflect on?
Thank you for the opportunity to be part of something truly amazing. I’ll continue to wear my Sisterhoodie with pride and look forward to seeing how the charity continues to develop.