The LeicestHERday Trust’s mission:

To engage, support and empower women throughout Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland and through this initiative empower families and communities.

The LeicestHERday Trust is an umbrella organisation formed to give an equal voice to all women and enhance the community at large by enhancing women's life experiences.

We are a strategic organisation, delivering projects and programmes across the entire sub region of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

We are developing policy in response to our membership that can be adapted for use by partners and members alike.

We are a partnership organisation able to develop ourselves by working with and for our partners across the bounds of government, business and the community.

We will together:

• Recognise and celebrate women’s achievements.

• Accelerate change to meet the diverse needs of women.

• Share expertise, knowledge and experience.

• Challenge organisations and communities.

• Unite in friendship.

• Empower women.

The objects for which the Charity is established are:

• To promote the equality and diverse needs of women in Leicester, Leicestershire and   Rutland by such charitable means as the Trustees see fit from time to time in particular but without limitation to the foregoing by:

• Promoting their personal and professional development;

• Acting as a co-ordinating forum;

• Providing practical support and assistance in particular through the sharing of expertise, knowledge and experience;

• Convening and holding conferences meetings lectures and courses and providing facilities for the same either alone or with others;

• Writing publishing distributing or securing the written publication and distribution gratuitously or otherwise of books pamphlets, journals or articles or other documents promoting the aforementioned objects; and

• Developing co-operative relations and arrangements with authorities, organisations, institutions and individuals promoting, engaged in or interested in the same.

We started in 2002 to run a one-day celebration conference for women by women.

By 2005, we had grown to a weeklong list of activities at the conference time and

by 2006 we have a year-round list of activities and projects.

Gallery of Women

In celebration of women as inspirational and motivational forces in our society and culture, LeicestHERday Trust, in partnership with Maz Mashru Photography, started the first Gallery of Women in 2005 featured at both Women of Achievement Awards and the LeicestHERday Conference.

This Gallery of Women has grown in size and stature and is now available both as a Real Gallery and a Virtual Gallery in electronic format.  The Virtual Gallery is available on this site Gallery of Women and was a feature on the Humberstone Gate screen at the 2005 Leicester EXPO.  In 2007, our goal is to capture 100 women on screen with their statements of aspiration, inspiration, motivation and even perspiration.

Reports and Evaluations

Each year, since 2002, LeicestHERday produces its annual Report based on the Conference itself plus work and activities highlighted during the year.

In addition, we constantly evaluate the work and activities we undertake and provide copies for our partners and the public.  We have undertaken a major review of our Strategy and Trust in 2005 and 2006 with the support of the Equality & Diversity Support Services.

Look at our previous Conference Reports on Reports- Prevous Events

Who do we Represent?

We represent women in business, in school and college, in the home and in the community.

Our themes revolve around these achievements and challenges.

It is obvious that as women we affect our families and communities around us.

Where we succeed, so do they.  We act as ambassadors and advocates for women.

For information on Who is on the Trust and our staff, Who We Are

Partnership working includes:

Leicester City Council

HER Story is only one of the mutual projects from Leicester City Council working together with LeicestHERday.

Others include the Gender in the Local Labour Market, Employment Works, Job Service Partnership support for Mini LeicestHERday events and more. In 2006, Leicester's Community Cohesion became an additional partner for our events.

Leicestershire County Council  

Each year the County Council celebrates LeicestHERday week with their own special event.  They are in the planning mode for 2007 and have some exciting prospects.

LeicestHERday also sits on the Equal Opportunities Validation group and works closely with the Equality and Diversity group on diverse matters including Gender Equality.

Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce

Hosts the Women of Achievement Awards with support from LeicestHERday Trust.

In addition, they and Success Matrix provide us with our premises and support for programmes and activities.

National Space Centre

Working with us at our Launch 2005 and 2006 and 2007.

University of Leicester

Lead partner in the SET- Women in Science, Engineering and Technology Event

SETting an Example started us out in 2002.  We have grown from strength to strength and now runn an annual Young Women Overcoming Barriers to Science Engineering and Technology.  See more above.

De Montfort University

Working with us in support of Mini LeicestHERday Events in 2005 and 2006, supporting partner in our 2003 Live Video Conference Link with the United Nations Conference on the Status of Women.  More recently DMU's Graduate Business School has been an active partner in Mind Your Own Business 2007.

JobCentre Plus

An active partner during the entire year, working with LeicestHERday in our Mini LeicestHERday events as well as providing support for the Conference.

Equality & Diversity Support Services

Developing joint working across the voluntary sector including developing Gender workshops for organisations and business. EDSS supports LeicestHERday in our strategic development and capacity building.

Corporate Partnership

Interactive partnership – working together on a wide range of projects and activities.  Check out our Partners' logos on our left hand acknowledgement column throughout this website.