When a copy of our book Timely Assistance by Dr Anne Bridger and Dr Ellen Jordan was purchased by an academic in Australia we were intrigued, and followed up the contact. Dr Catherine Layton is a retired lecturer and research into little-known Victorian figures has become her new passion. Dr Layton was born in Hampstead, but has lived in New South Wales since 1975.

Due to her expertise Dr Layton was asked to contribute several articles for the Palgrave Encyclopaedia of female Victorian Writers, including those on Rhoda Garrett and Agnes Garrett, the first women to obtain apprenticeships with an architect and subsequently the first to establish themselves as professional interior decorators.  Dr Layton then volunteered for the entry on the Society for the Promotion of the Employment Women as a result of her research on the Garrett ladies. Hence, her purchase of Timely Assistance.

The contracted article on SPEW was for 2,000 words, but Dr Layton became so engrossed in our founding society and Jessie Boucherett’s work that the resulting article was nearly 4,000 words – and was accepted in its entirety. One of the co-authors of Timely Assistance – Dr Anne Bridger – was on hand to review the article and she was so pleased with the final result that she requested it should form part of our Society’s archives at Girton College, Cambridge.

Further information on the Palgrave Encyclopaedia of female Victorian Writers can be gained on this link.

The Trinity Buoy Wharf drawing award is the UK’s most important open exhibition for drawing.  In 2020 they received 4272 entries for their annual drawing prize and we were delighted to hear that a Futures for Women beneficiary was awarded second prize.

The three paintings which caught the eye of the judges were individually entitled Pendant Alarm, Tea, and Teeth.  The pencil drawings document the artist’s role as a carer and support worker during the coronavirus pandemic, focusing on the relationships she formed with her clients. Drawn from memory while the artist travelled between shifts, the prize-winning drawings expressively capture moments of intimacy, tenderness, and companionship.

Futures for Women would like to pass on our own congratulations to the artist, who is now studying for a Masters in Art Psychotherapy.

We have recently heard from a beneficiary of one of our interest-free loans who used the funding to help her complete a masters at Cambridge University in Industrial Systems and Manufacturing Management. She even competed in the Cancer Research Boat Race against Oxford during her time at university, and her team were victorious!

Following graduation our beneficiary started working at Tesco Head office in Supply Chain. She first worked on projects optimising their ordering calculations aiming to reduce stock in store without effecting customer availability. She then moved on to working with the international stores in Hungry, Czech Republic and Slovakia, being responsible for their supply chain systems business strategy, before deciding to train for a management role.

Our beneficiary said “I would like to thank your charity for helping me on my career journey. I couldn’t have done it without charities such as yours”. We would like to pass on our best wishes for a rewarding and successful career.