WomenChangemakers

This month, we celebrate Karen Martyniuk founder of Infinite Women, a visionary leader whose dedication to fostering community, empowerment, and holistic well-being for women across Manchester. Karen was a part of our 2024 Time 2 Grow Programme, and is based in Lancashire.

After nearly four decades as a youth and community worker, Karen found herself inspired by a profound calling in 2021—a call to bring women from all walks of life together in safe, nurturing spaces to learn, grow, and uplift one another.

With a mission to build community from the ground up, Karen envisioned a movement centered on Holistic Health, Holistic Living, Sustainability, Friendship, and Fun. This vision took tangible form in March 2022, when the first-ever Infinite Women session was launched at The Harmony Hub in Chorley. Just four months after its launch, Infinite Women achieved a significant milestone. On July 8, 2022, the organization was officially registered as a Community Interest Company (CIC), cementing its status as a not-for-profit entity with community benefit at its core.

Karen’s passion, dedication, and ability to bring people together have created a ripple effect of positive change. Her work continues to inspire women to embrace their power, connect authentically, and support one another in their personal and collective journeys.

Thank you, Karen, for being a true changemaker and for showing us all the power of community, vision, and heart.

This month we’re celebrating Soraya Agaoglu an incredible changemaker from Stockport and dear friend of Flourish. Soraya has progressed from our Time 2 Grow programme and is providing mindset coaching to other changemakers in our network.

Raised in Manchester, Soraya is a woman of many disciplines. Throughout her career she has been a TV producer, English teacher and is now a Freelance consultant in community storytelling. As well as being a dedicated mother and active volunteer, she uses her experience and drive to improve mental and physical wellbeing for minoritised communities.

Soraya was able to exercise her passion for cultural diversity during her time at Sector 3 as a Equality, Diversity and Inclusion lead where she helped grassroots leaders establish cross-sector relationships in Stockport. Her relationships with Stockport council and various organisations have allowed her to host workshops and address charity CEO’s, public sector officials, the police and boards of trustees on issues relating to empowering minoritized communities and building community cohesion.

Wellbeing is another passion of Soraya’s, she is independent consultant for Tropics Skincare and has offered countless complimentary facials for women at our monthly Flourish Pop-up spa, not to mentioned she has recently completed our accredited facials course.

As the founder of We Uplift wellbeing the main goal is to use skincare and self-care techniques to help people reconnect with themselves. Especially those working with community organisations and dedicate their time looking after others. She is particularly looking forward to her mirror workshops; a combination of self reflection and identity to explore how we achieve self-love despite our racial and physical differences.

Her main focus currently is OVOE (Our Version Of Events) Storytelling – offering community courses and workshops to ensure people are supported to tell their story with the belief that everyone deserves to be seen, heard and understood. Using her background in TV and teaching, workshops are tailored to each group as they work collaboratively to develop the terminology, confidence and skills to share their story and be a voice for their community.

Here at Flourish we are proud of the path Soraya has carved out for herself and are excited see what the next few months have to offer.

You can find Soraya’s Wellbeing and Storytelling work here:

OVOE Storytelling – (1) Facebook

Tropics

Make sure you stay up to date with any upcoming projects by giving the pages a follow!

[Read more…] about CHANGEMAKER OF THE MONTH – OCTOBER!

This month we’re celebrating Tik Jankoo Pavion an incredible changemaker from our We Lead for Legacy programme.

In 2023, Tik and Donna co-founded Happy Me Community, a response to addressing issues such as the lack of maternity care and the need for improved antenatal and postnatal services in Bury.

Determined to instigate change, Tik transitioned from working in the private to voluntary sector and started running her own community groups which focus on the liberation and empowerment of women of all backgrounds, ensuring they have the necessary support when navigating pregnancy and post-partum.

[Read more…] about CHANGEMAKER OF THE MONTH – AUGUST!

This month we’re celebrating Lilly Lewis-Bell an incredible changemaker from our We Lead for Legacy programme.

Lilly is dedicated to changing the perception of women, especially those from minoritised communities within the prison system and beyond, when seeking work with a criminal conviction.

With lived experience of both domestic abuse and of being in custody, she has raised the voice of women living with trauma in the Criminal Justice System. Lilly has worked relentlessly trying to help women to rebuild their lives post release – at both a local & national level. She has spoken in parliament, had conversations with the Princess of Wales about experiences, emphasising the need to improve trauma informed training in prisons to create safe spaces for women & girls.

Lilly has described her journey on the We Lead for Legacy Civic Leadership Programme as a transformative experience, both personally and professionally. Since starting the programme, Lilly has co-chaired a Steering group looking at the barriers women face when subjected to child removals and has a strong interest in becoming a councilor. In addition to this, Lilly is now co hosting the Justice podcast with Lady Edwina Grosvenor.

Needless to say, Lilly has been an inspiration to all and her story has resonated with many of us here at Flourish as its a reminder to never give up on yourself or others. We look forward to seeing all you go on to achieve!

Check out Lilly and her work here:

X (Twitter): https://x.com/lils_lewis

Podcast: https://x.com/OSTCharity/status/1811338253187911961?t=kCgZFgslsH9bSZN5NdL0pA&s=03

Steering group: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/agenda-alliance_just-released-we-need-support-our-new-activity-7216713223616516096-BaTG?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android