WOMENS ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK

Womens Environmental Network (WEN) is a UK-wide organisation that was set up in the late 1980s to give women a voice and to work on womens issues relating
to health and the environment, such as nappy waste and bleach in sanitary towels. More recently, the organisation has been focused on sustainable food and has
been supporting community food-growing projects in Tower Hamlets.
AIMS FOR THE LSF PROJECT
To increase their organisational resilience and financial sustainability, and to continue to be an organisation with on-going relevance in a shifting sector, including:
Reducing their reliance on grant income, through increasing self-generated income.
Reviewing and strengthening their organisational structures, management and financial processes.

LEADERSHIP
WHAT THE ORGANISATION ACHIEVED A huge part of it is having
Formalising their existing participatory structure to create better accountability and more people 100% committed to the
effective management processes. organisation and that
Improving their financial systems, therefore improving internal efficiency and enabling participatory way of working.
better management of their membership database. also mutual trust of each
Strengthening their Board of trustees, attracting new and well skilled trustees as a result of others capabilities
their refreshed strategic direction and organisational improvements.

KEY FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS SUCCESS

The project teams commitment and hard work, and shared values.
The direction and advice given by the advisor, and her strong support.

LEARNING FROM LSF

How important it is to invest in the core functions of running an organisation.
That it is possible to have a strong and accountable management structure that aligns with
It helped us realise we really
feminist principles.
needed to work on our internal How important it is to have time to think and talk about improvements and core functions, to
systems and processes. listen to and learn from one another and other organisations.