Events and workshops Archives - The Cassandra Centre

16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence- Community Walk

We invite you to stand with us as we join the global movement to end violence against women, girls, and marginalised communities.

Every year, from 25th November to 10th December, people across the world unite for the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a powerful campaign that shines a light on the urgent need to end violence in all its forms.

Gender-based violence is not just a personal issue — it’s a public crisis. It affects health, safety, dignity, and freedom. At the Cassandra Centre, we believe every person deserves to live free from fear and harm.

This year, we are proud to be part of this global effort by hosting a community walk and awareness event:

Date: Friday, 28th November
Time: 17:00 hr
Starting Point: Lambeth College Brixton Centre
Route: From Brixton Lambeth College through central Brixton (see attached flyer for map)

Together, we will raise our voices, share our stories, and call for meaningful change.
Let’s walk in solidarity, ALL UNITED, to end violence against women and girls.

Please share this invitation and flyer across your networks and help us spread the word using the hashtag #WeSpeakUp.

Collinson Group Donate Women’s Emergency Hygiene Bags

Staff at the Collinson Group have generously put together emergency hygiene bags for women fleeing domestic violence.

Each bag contains essential hygiene products such as toiletries and other personal necessities that might have been left behind in the urgency of leaving an unsafe situation.

By offering these essential items, the bags help alleviate some of the stress and uncertainty faced by women as they transition to safer environments.

Thank you to the staff at Collinson for their dedication and support. The emergency hygiene bags will not only address women’s physical needs, but they also convey a powerful message of solidarity and hope. They serve as a reminder that women are not alone and that a supportive community is there to assist them on their path to healing and independence.

Afternoon Tea at Wallington Girls School

On November 24th, our lunch club enjoyed a delightful afternoon tea at Wallington Girls School. The school graciously welcomed the Cassandra Centre, with ten members and two staff attending the event via minibus.

Background

A few months prior, the school collaborated with the Cassandra Centre through the efforts of their Year 10 tutor class (10 Seacole) which saw the group participate in a competition named ‘First Give.’ This involved selecting a charitable organisation to raise money and awareness for, with a potential prize of £1,000. They chose Cassandra Centre as their focus.

Afternoon Tea

During the day, the students organised a delightful event featuring:

Cakes and sweet treats made by the students
Activities including bingo and a Christmas-themed general knowledge quiz.

The event was a resounding success, with positive feedback from attendees. Comments from Lunch Club members included:

“Most enjoyable.”
“The girls were very polite, attentive to our needs, the food and cakes were lovely.”
“Fantastic, really enjoyed it – the girls were very impressive, and I would like to attend again.”
“Thank you to Sophie and the Cassandra Centre for organizing this trip. The cakes and company were good fun.”

Although 10 Seacole did not win the First Give competition, their partnership with Cassandra Centre yielded significant benefits in terms of raising awareness, fostering intergenerational connections, and directly supporting the centre’s clients.

A special thank you to Wallington Girls school for arranging such a lovely day for our lunch club. Events like afternoon tea goes beyond just enjoying a warm beverage and some treats.

These events provide invaluable opportunities for social interaction, reducing feelings of isolation and loneliness that many of our club members might have experienced.

Cassandra Centre Christmas Dinner 2024

On the 12th of December we held our Christmas dinner.

Our guests joined us for an evening filled with festive cheer, delicious food, and joyous music, not to mention a live performance where we were graced with some festive tunes.

During the event, we enjoyed a buffet of holiday favourites. The aroma of the delicious food enticed everyone to the beautifully set tables, sparking great conversations and festive cheer.

It was a delightful gathering filled with warmth and joy. The room was adorned with twinkling lights and festive decorations, creating a magical atmosphere.

Guests were invited to showcase their brightest smiles against our festive backdrops, creating the perfect photo opportunity. It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the season with friends, family, and colleagues.

We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined us for our Christmas dinner. The atmosphere of unity and appreciation was genuinely felt, creating a memorable evening!

Walk With Us: 16 Days of Activism 2024

On the 29th of November 2024, we organised a walk as part of the 16 Days of Activism and the White Ribbon campaign.

The theme was #ItStartsWithMen, where we encouraged our community to engage and increase awareness about domestic violence.

During our walk, our community filled the streets, their voices united in harmony as they carried signs advocating for change. The air was filled with a sense of hope and determination, as people of all ages and backgrounds came together to support a common cause. Children waved banners, whilst others shared stories of past struggles and triumphs. The atmosphere was one of solidarity and resilience, as the community showed that even in the face of adversity, they could stand together with unwavering strength and commitment to a better future.

The streets of Brixton were bustling with enthusiastic campaigners as we journeyed from Lambeth College to Pop Brixton Greenhouse. Chants of solidarity echoed through the streets, accompanied by the rhythmic sounds of drums and whistles. It was a powerful reminder that change often begins with the courage to stand up and speak out peacefully, inspiring others to join in the pursuit of a better, more inclusive future for all.

During the walk, we were also joined by Ben Kind – Councillor & Cabinet Member for Children and Families in Lambeth who shared with us some impactful words: 'In Lambeth, we're really proud that we are White Ribbon accredited and we have taken steps over the years to protect and try to stop violence against women and girls.'

The Cassandra Centre is dedicated to creating a world free from violence. Our past events, such as the 16 Days of Activism walks in Tooting and Merton, have shown the power of community in driving change.

When communities come together to stand against domestic violence, they create a network of support that can provide safety, resources, and hope to those in need. By educating the community, we hope to foster a greater understanding of the signs and consequences of domestic violence, encouraging individuals to speak out and seek help.

Thank you to all those who joined us in our walk, your presence and support made a significant impact, demonstrating the power of unity and collective action. Together, we have shown that our voices can be a force for change, advocating for justice and equality. Let us continue to stand together, inspiring others to join our cause and work towards a brighter future for all.

International Women’s Day Event – Heads Above the Parapet: Women Who Make Change – 8th March 2021

Heads Above the Parapet: Women Who Make Change

In aid of International Women’s Day and the Cassandra Centre domestic abuse charity (https://cassandracentre.org.uk/) join presenter Victoria Derbyshire, who has kindly agreed to host an evening with anti-FGM campaigner Hibo Wardere, ex GMP whistleblower and detective from ‘Three Girls’, Maggie Oliver and domestic abuse campaigner, Jennifer McDermott, for a virtual chat about how their experiences have shaped them.

Maggie, Jennifer and Hibo have all experienced a lot of suffering in their lives. Jennifer lost her daughter, Cassandra, to domestic abuse when she was just nineteen years old, after Cassie’s ex-boyfriend beat her to death, leaving Jennifer devastated. Hibo was mutilated as a six year old child when she had FGM performed on her, leaving her with a lifetime of physical and emotional pain. And Maggie lost her beloved husband and grand-daughter unexpectedly – and then her job – after she stood up to Greater Manchester Police about their failure to investigate the sexual abuse of young girls in Rochdale.

But despite all this, all three women went on to achieve great things for the advancement of women’s rights.

Jennifer founded a domestic abuse charity in Cassandra’s name – the Cassandra Centre – and then went on to gain the first ‘double jeopardy’ conviction after a previously unsuccessful prosecution of her daughter’s killer. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison.

Hibo arrived in London from Somalia, learned English, and then wrote a book about her experiences of FGM (called ‘Cut’) and became a prolific anti-FGM campaigner.

Maggie set up the Maggie Oliver Foundation (https://www.themaggieoliverfoundation.com/), which helps and supports young women and girls who have suffered sexual exploitation and abuse.

Hear from them the stories of how their life experiences shaped them. Learn what makes them tick, why they do it – and what hurdles they have had to overcome in order to meet this chatllenge.

Donations

We want to keep this event open to all so in lieu of purchasing a ticket we kindly request that you make a donation to the Cassandra Centre domestic violence charity and/or The Maggie Oliver Foundation, which both work with women and girls, offering help and practical support when they have suffered, or are suffering, domestic abuse and child sexual exploitation. Find the link here https://www.justgiving.com/cassandralearningcentre and here https://www.justgiving.com/maggieoliverfdn

Please follow the Cassandra Centre at https://twitter.com/CassandraCentre that works to support and help women and girls who are suffering – or have suffered – domestic abuse.

The Maggie Oliver Foundation at https://twitter.com/MaggieOliverUK

Hibo Wardere at https://twitter.com/HiboWardere

and support their work when you can.

Also follow Victoria Derbyshire here https://twitter.com/vicderbyshire

Cassandra Centre

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/heads-above-the-parapet-women-who-make-change-tickets-143296921951

Cassandra Centre and A.S.K.I. partner up for Free Meals Service

Cassandra Centre has partnered with Advice Support Knowledge Information (A.S.K.I.) who were established in 2012. We have come together to coordinate the free meals delivery service to the elderly, vulnerable and self-isolating senior members of the community until this service ends in June 2020. A.S.K.I supports and signposts individuals who face barriers to inclusion, who with support, could go on to live productive lives and make a contribution to their community. We will both work together to make this useful project a success, and with your continued help and support, we believe that it will be.

Your help is appreciated

Free Meals Delivery Service

Free Meals during the COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic Cassandra Centre has been offering a free meals delivery service to the elderly, vulnerable, and self-isolating adults living within the Norbury and Pollard Hill areas and in Wandsworth and Lambeth too.

We’d like you to let us know if you have a family elder, an elderly neighbour, or if you have any clients that could benefit from this free service.

The meals will be cooked beforehand and delivered between 1pm to 6pm on Thursdays during April. For the adults living in Wandsworth and Lambeth, we have partnered up with A.S.K.I. to make sure that the delivery of the meals will continue until 25th June 2020. We’ll need the names, addresses and contact numbers for each individual as soon as you can, so please ask them to contact us straight away or you can let us know their address or contact details yourself by contacting us using our details on the flyers below.

Please contact us by midday on Wednesdays to secure a delivery for the following day.

Online Chair-based Dance programme

Hannah Ruth is a dance instructor and she’s been asked to produce a six-week online chair-based dance programme by A.S.K.I, for senior members of the community to help keep them fit while they’re at home during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. The classes have been choreographed for those who require seated exercise and so far there have been four classes. If you’d like to take part yourself or you know someone who could benefit from having a go and they might enjoy this, please click the links below to view the videos. Click here for Part 1: https://youtu.be/aErgFMrH9xc Click here for Part 2: https://youtu.be/uDJ0mSbDOZo Click here for Part 3: https://youtu.be/xhT4zcwptFM Click here for Part 4: https://youtu.be/MLNfAQtz-M0 PLease remember to subscribe to Hannah if you enjoyed these videos.

Free Meals delivery Service

During the COVID 19 period each Thursday in April and in addition to our regular services, we are offering a free meal delivery service to elderly, vulnerable, disabled and people who are self-isolated. These are individuals and who live within the Croydon, Norbury or Pollard Hill, Wandsworth and Lambeth areas. We have so far delivered over 200 meals and because this has been so successful, we’ve decided to extend this offer to until the end of June 2020. So if you or someone you know would like to benefit from this free service, please contact us and place your order.

The meals will be cooked beforehand and delivered throughout the day on Thursdays between 1.00 pm and 6.00 pm. We will need the name, address and a contact number for each individual as soon as you can, and before midday on Wednesdays, so please ask them to contact us straight away or you can let us know directly.

The Food Pack will contain:

Khoshari

Khoshari is a traditional Egyptian dish, and it is entirely vegan. The ingredients are:- Brown lentils, rice, spaghetti, onions, chickpeas and cumin.

Tomato Sauce

The tomato sauce which accompanies the Khoshari contains – tomatoes, chilli, garlic, coriander, cumin and vinegar.

Grilled Chicken Breast

The grilled chicken breasts are marinated in lemon, yoghurt and spices, including tumeric, cumin and coriander.

Some salad will also be included in the pack, and this may contain cucumber, tomatoes, red/green/yellow peppers (not chilli), lettuce and olives.

With your continued help and support, we’re hoping this will be a real success, so hurry and let us know your requirements. We will also include one of our information cards with the delivery. This will tell you a little about Cassandra Centre, and how else we can help you during the coronavirus – should you want to contact us – and our contact details.

Please feel free to get in touch with us anytime.

Many thanks