Prime Highlights:
- Future Female Society (FFS) marks a decade of empowering women and girls, with programs helping participants gain confidence, skills, and self-belief.
- Founder Kim Trotter highlights the group’s lasting impact, with women returning to say, “You didn’t just change my life, you saved my life.”
Key Facts:
- Since 2016, FFS has supported around 2,500 women and girls from 25 countries through 41 projects and events.
- Ipswich ranks among the bottom 10% in the UK for women’s equality, emphasizing the ongoing need for programs like FFS’s.
Background:
An Ipswich-based women’s empowerment group has marked a decade of community action while urging fresh financial and business support to continue its work.
Future Female Society (FFS) celebrated its 10th anniversary at an event held on Tuesday at the King Street Cinema. The organisation, founded by Kim Trotter, supports women and girls in building confidence, skills and self-belief. As it reflected on its achievements, the group also issued a plea for funding to sustain key programmes.
Trotter, who started FFS after becoming a single mother at 19, said the journey had been more demanding than she expected. “It’s tough being a woman or girl. We know that from everything that’s happening in the news, so we need help to carry on doing what we’re doing,” she said. She described fundraising as a constant challenge but added that the impact of the work made the effort worthwhile. According to Trotter, many former participants still return to say the organisation changed – and in some cases saved – their lives.
The anniversary event showcased stories from women whose lives have improved through FFS initiatives. Joanne Shackle, one of the speakers, said back problems forced her to leave work, which led to isolation and declining mental health. She joined FFS last year after encouragement from her work coach.
Initially unsure, she attended her first event at the Wolsey Theatre and found herself opening up in conversation. She began attending regularly and later explored other activities. “It was just really nice to be included,” she said, adding that she left with renewed confidence.
Since 2016, FFS has delivered 41 projects and events, reaching about 2,500 women and girls from 25 countries. Its programmes include “Girls, Where You At?” for teenagers aged 12 to 19, “Woman2Woman” for migrant and refugee women, and “More Than Mum” for young mothers. However, “More Than Mum” is currently paused due to a lack of funding.
According to Plan International, Ipswich ranks in the bottom 10% in the UK for being a woman or girl, based on education, health and safety indicators. FFS leaders say this underlines the need for sustained support as they enter their second decade.
