Dr Kathy McLean, Chair of the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), visited Nottingham Women’s Centre recently to learn about their vital work to improve health outcomes and reduce inequalities.
The visit offered Kathy a first-hand look at the Centre’s trauma-informed, person-centred approach to supporting women. The Centre, which has been open for over 50 years, provides a safe, welcoming space for women to access services, build connections, and take steps toward recovery and empowerment.
The Centre offers a wide range of services, including counselling, casework for women on probation, therapeutic support, and wellbeing activities. One of its key focuses is supporting women transitioning out of the criminal justice system. This work is crucial in breaking cycles of reoffending—especially given that nearly 60% of women reoffend within a year of release.
Kathy said: “I heard powerful stories from women whose journeys from crisis to stability were made possible through the Centre’s wraparound support.
“And with more than half of the women using the centre being from minority ethnic backgrounds, the work they do to offer health literacy programmes for migrant women and a community languages counselling service is incredibly important.
“The Centre is a powerful example of how the voluntary sector can drive prevention, reduce health inequalities, and deliver social value.”
The Centre also provides practical support through a mini emergency foodbank, hygiene bank, and open-access facilities where women can cook, shower, and rest—no questions asked. Its women-only library and archive further enrich the space as a cultural and educational hub.