Vision

I am regaining some of my confidence. Important not just for me but impacts on my children if I am happier in myself, obviously it makes a difference to how their lives are shaped. I feel more prepared to take a risk in doing what I like doing rather than what I feel I should do.

Our vision is of a society in which different types of knowledge and different ways of learning, seeing and being are equally valued. We are allowed to be different and see the world differently. No one feels they are below others, or needs to put others below them to feel OK.

In this world we complement and counterbalance each other. Together, our shared experiences and strengths make for something much greater than any one of us alone could create.

In this society we recognise and embrace our common vulnerability as human beings, knowing that throughout our lives, we depend on each other to meet our needs. We work collectively to solve the constraints which life throws at us. We are allowed to fail.

We are not told what we should or should not do, only given suggestions and information.

And we all challenge ourselves constantly to create this society – it exists because we consciously make it.

Objectives

We want women who join Skills Network:

Before I came here I was doing nothing. I had given up on MY life. I was going through the motion day after day, looking after the kids,doing the cleaning. Because of Skills Network I feel completely different and motivated to do the things I want to do. I also found I could make space for myself. Now I feel there is a light at the end of the tunnel and I am feeling positive about my life, and my children's future too

to gain a sense of greater belonging and to feel more ok about who they are in the world
to have a wider sense of the possibilities for and gain a sense of control over their and their children’s lives
to feel able to instigate and maintain mutually supportive relationships
to feel able to identify and work towards own goals, whatever they may be.
to feel they have the knowledge, information and skills to support their children’s learning
to be able to make links between their own situation and wider social processes – and to have the skills and “power within” to make their voice heard.
To have the skills to unpick and effectively challenge social assumptions and biases
To have the skills to challenge assumptions and biases in themselves.

I enjoy creating things. I didn't value what I did before, I never believed it was worth pushing in any direction. It doesn’t help when people are telling you "You can't" or "Who do you think you are?" or "Go and do something easy"... They think you can’t make a difference so why bother? With Skills I realised I CAN and WHY NOT?...

Aims

As a collective we aim to:

be a platform/forum/hub for creative, positive experiences of interactive learning
create and share tools to engage children in creative, interactive learning.
maintain a space where everyone feels comfortable and heard, acting out our belief in equality
Create/demonstrate a model of working and being together that reflects our values of sharing power, leadership and responsibility and acting like equals
Work together to reveal and challenge inequalities and biases in social policy and wider social structures