A WOMEN’S charity in York is celebrating new funding as it marks a significant milestone.

The Kyra Women’s Project, in St Saviourgate, is celebrating the second birthday of its Reaching Out, Supporting and Empowering (ROSE) project, a special support group for women aged 18 – 25.

The project has just received nearly £5,000 from the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust York Committee to enable it to continue.

The ROSE group brings together young women who are isolated or in need of support to try out a range of activities that build confidence, reduce isolation and encourage positive change in members’ lives.

Over the past two years, the group’s activities have included a six-week course called ‘Be safe’ focussing on personal safety, and talks from the Changing Lives charity about drug and alcohol issues.

Other sessions have focussed on wellbeing, resilience, positive role models, body image and the rights of a woman.

During lockdown, sessions took place online, but the group has recently returned to the Kyra premises.

A short film about the group, made by members and produced for International Women’s Day 2021, can be viewed here.

Sherrie Wood, who leads the group, said: "We're really excited to be celebrating two years of the project. At times we have been just a week away from running out of money, so the JRHT’s grant is brilliant, giving the young women some assurance that we will continue to be there for them.

"Young women have suffered more than many groups during the lockdown, and we want to make sure there is this extra support in place.”

Group’s members said about the ROSE project: "It gave me a space to be slightly weird and cackly while also discussing really important things.

"The fact that I didn’t need to hide my mental health issues made me feel so much more comfortable."

Another member said: “Going to the ROSE project was the first time I was able to leave the house and go into York town centre without having a panic attack in a long time.

"I learnt a lot about self-esteem at the Rose project in a way that I hadn’t understood before.”

“My mental health has always felt like something I needed to mask or hide to be accepted. I joined the rose project two years ago, and it's really taught me that people like me for me, not who I pretend to be. We can sit together and make crafts or draw and talk about anything, and it's such a judgement free space where I feel so welcomed and supported.”

The funders, Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust, said: “The York Committee is really supportive of Kyra’s work and believes this project will continue to provide much needed support for young women in York, who have been severely impacted by the pandemic.”