Sometimes it just hits you. That’s it. That is exactly what needs to be done. That is how I felt when I first heard about 100 Women. I knew I had to be a part of it…somehow.
I had met Alicia Curtis at one of her Unconvention events and connected with her on LinkedIn after. There, I saw an update from her about the launch of 100 Women and was immediately and overwhelmingly inspired. And truly excited that women in WA were standing up and DOING something about these issues which have always been close to my heart.
Then the financial practicalities set in. I have three kids, a family to feed, bills to pay, all these conflicting financial commitments, yada yada (don’t we all?). But however hard I tried, I just could not find a way to be a member on my own. I emailed Alicia in the vague hope there was another way and I was told about mini circles which had recently been launched.
So I tried to start a mini circle of my own with some of my WA friends. But for really valid reasons, none of them were in a position to join me. I had almost given up, and then after my last ditch attempt I emailed Alicia to wish her all the best with this fabulous organisation, when – lo and behold – a friend of Alicia’s was looking for one more mini circle member for her mini circle. Yes!
I made contact with Hannah and we met for lunch in West Perth. We hit it off straight away. At least I thought so…Hannah can correct you if I am wrong 😉 and we could have talked the hind legs off a donkey about almost everything.
After some email exchanges as a group, we met to formalise things and do some planning about what we were going to call ourselves (one needs to name the mini circle – no, before you ask, it was not a precocious attempt at starting another Spice Girls or anything). With a little facilitative expertise from my 7 year old daughter (I had to bring her to keep an eye on her after being bitten by a red back but that is another story), the ‘Nourishing Change Angels’ mini circle was born.
Hannah is a gifted writer, blogger, entrepreneur, food guru and mum/bonus mum to 3 little people. She is our circle coordinator and is the glue that links us all together.
Katie is passionate about improving women’s lives having worked in corrections and seen people struggling with really difficult circumstances. She loves to travel and has seen so much potential to help people around the world.
Angie is a web content expert, adventurer, and lifestyle coach; also known to dabble a bit in photography and is addicted to her Thermomix.
Jale is a lawyer, young leader, charity skydiver, and mum to a little girl.
Belinda lives in the UK (so yes it IS still possible to be a ‘remote’ member). Belinda is a Perthite who lives in London, is a project draftsperson, global volunteer, fundraiser extraordinaire, and mum to a 2-year old girl.
And me. I am a consultant, educator, inclusion & diversity advocate, and mum of three (not so little) people. I am also part of the Events team here at 100 Women.
I look back at the last year of our mini circle and I feel very blessed to have these amazing women in my life. Were it not for the mini circle I would not have met them. We meet for lunch, or to watch the sun set over dinner and put the world to rights. And there is always a lot of lovely food involved 🙂
There are many advantages to being a mini circle member:
- You spread the cost of membership amongst up to 6 people which can make becoming a member just that little bit more affordable.
- You can expand your network by meeting other people who share a similar passion.
- You really have to evidence why your vote counts – as a mini circle you get one vote per circle at grant voting time each year. Because it is not just your opinion that counts, you really need to research the grants and their organisations to justify why the mini circle should agree with you.
- You have the opportunity to make friends as it can be a more social form of membership. How much of course, is up to you.
If you have up to 6 people who are ready to go, then all you need to do is nominate who will be the coordinator and make your donation (in a single payment – we all transferred our money to Hannah who then submitted the $1200 for us) and then email [email protected] with your mini circle details. That’s it!
If you are solo, coupled, or don’t have quite enough for a mini circle, we can help put you in touch with others who are looking for mini circle members. Email us at [email protected].
I love being a part of 100 Women though a mini circle. Because of our shared enthusiasm for 100 Women and dealing with the issues it exists for, I feel a real sense of connection to these women. If you are thinking of joining a mini circle, I would most definitely encourage you to do so.
If you h
ave any questions about the process, please get in touch, and I hope to see you at the next 100 Women event.
Larissa Elliot (left) is a mini-circle member and a valued member of the Events Subcommittee. Her knowledge, support, and passion has been a great asset to 100 Women!
