women’s circleS OFFER a chance to share stories or experiences, moments of quiet inner contemplation, music, sharing of words, inspiration and SISITERHOOD.
We meet in-person in our homes, community halls, outside in our gardens, local parks, woodlands and fields, as well as many other beautiful spaces. Or, we gather online, from every part of the world, bringing women together across oceans and lands.
womenscircles.co.uk was created by Emma Johnson, a circle facilitator, who wanted people to more easily be able to find circles local to them, or online circles that offered something specific they were looking for.
Emma Johnson trained with Sister Stories Facilitator’s Training in June 2022 – and now runs circles in Gloucestershire and online as The Wild Circle.
“Lots of the women who come to my circles say that they’ve been looking for ages for a circle locally, but couldn’t find one. I wanted to make it easier for them, and all other women, to find circles - both nearby and online, by simply being able to search by location, or day/time/type, to find something that worked best for them.”
“I know that the promotion and sharing side of circles feels challenging for lots of facilitators. I’m lucky that I have a decent amount of experience in designing and creating websites, and running social media accounts – so setting up this up was easy for me, but lots of my circle friends have often asked me for advice about promotion/social media/web presence. We need somewhere to share the circle work that we are doing that doesn’t feel ‘icky’ or ‘salesy’; and also doesn’t cost us a lot of money. Hosting and running a website and social media account takes more time and money than we ever expect and I know for lots of us it’s a real struggle.”
“I hope that by creating this website - as well as offering promotional support via the Instagram account and a regular newsletter - that I can offer a simple and effective way for women to get the word out about their circles, and support and champion the important work they’re doing. And, for those not wishing to have a standalone website, your listing page can act as a 'holding page' for what you do - a dedicated link for your circle that you can use in text messages, emails, online, flyers, social media and so on.”
“The site is very much a work in progress, and I hope, as time moves forward and the site grows, that we can list circle training, longer retreats and events and more. There are also plans to eventually use some of the proceeds from the site to support new facilitators in setting up their circles - with some sort of financial contribution that helps towards the initial set-up costs; as well as offering hourly or half-day sessions on social media tips and simple website building.”
“I’m really excited about the potential for how this site can help spread the word of circle, and offer another way for our community to connect with each other. And I’d love to welcome you to this nurturing space. Much like a circle, the strength of this website lies in the community of women within it. So I really hope you’ll want to be a part of it.”