women and girls network

What women and girls network does

Women and Girls Network (WGN) is a London-based registered charity (Charity No. 1150354, Company No. 8286856) founded in 1987 that delivers free, specialist, women-only services to survivors of gendered violence across all London boroughs. Its service portfolio comprises three freephone helplines (Advice Line 0808 801 0660, London Survivors Gateway, Sexual Violence Helpline), therapeutic counselling, Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ISVA) advocacy, a West London Rape Crisis Centre, a Legal Support Scheme, Young Women's Services (13-25), the CouRAGEus pan-London partnership programme, the Indigo Project for women with multiple disadvantage, and an accredited training and consultancy offer for professionals. Services are grounded in Black feminist, trauma-informed principles and delivered via WGN's proprietary Holistic Empowerment Recovery (HER) Model — a strengths-based, non-pathologising clinical methodology developed by Co-Founder Dr Akima Thomas OBE that integrates mind, body, and spirit healing.

The underlying operational technology is service-delivery infrastructure rather than software: trained staff and volunteers, freephone telephony, professional referral networks with social services/police/healthcare, and an accredited training centre delivering commissioned courses. WGN participates in three structural ecosystems — the London VAWG Consortium (22 organisations), the Angelou Partnership, and the EVAW Coalition — and the CouRAGEus partner network spanning ten specialist organisations across London boroughs.

The business model is that of a grant-and-commission-funded charity: zero fees are charged to beneficiaries, with income derived from institutional funders including the Home Office, Ministry of Justice, Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (via Safer London Foundation), NHS England, London Councils, the Big Lottery Foundation, individual London boroughs, plus donations. The Training and Consultancy line represents a modest earned-income diversification stream, with courses typically funded and commissioned by partners and free to delegates. WGN is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Sabrina Qureshi, has no parent company, no venture or private equity ownership, and is not a candidate for traditional PE/VC investment given its non-profit structure.

Name

women and girls network

Legal name

Women and Girls Network

Website

https://wgn.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Women and Girls Network is a London-based charity founded in 1987 that provides free, trauma-informed counselling, advocacy, helpline, rape-crisis, and training services for women and girls affected by gendered violence across all London boroughs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gendered Violence Support Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)

Keywords

• Gendered violence support
• Women counselling services
• Sexual violence advocacy
• Rape crisis support
• Trauma-informed therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Funding and Donations: WGN operates as a registered charity (No. 1150354) funded through grants, donations, and commissioned services. The organization receives funding from government bodies, charitable foundations, and public donations. Training courses are primarily funded and commissioned by partners, often free to delegates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Women and Girls Network provides free, specialist, women-only, survivor-led support services to women and girls in London affected by gendered violence. Its core offering consists of crisis helplines, trauma-informed counselling and therapeutic support, practical advocacy (including ISVA services), rape crisis services, legal support, dedicated services for young women aged 13–25, and accredited training and consultancy for professionals. Services are delivered through a proprietary Holistic Empowerment Recovery (HER) clinical model grounded in Black feminist and trauma-informed principles.

Product overview

Women and Girls Network is a London-based charity offering a comprehensive suite of free support services for women and girls affected by gendered violence. The organisation provides a multi-layered service portfolio including crisis helplines (Advice Line, London Survivors Gateway, Sexual Violence Helpline), therapeutic counselling, specialist advocacy (including ISVA services), practical support, training for professionals, and dedicated young women's services. Key programmes include the CouRAGEus Program for Black and Global majority young people aged 14-24, the Indigo Project for women with multiple disadvantage, and the West London Rape Crisis Centre. All services are trauma-informed, survivor-led, and grounded in Black feminist principles. The organisation does not offer a technology product but provides direct support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CouRAGEus Project: A pan-London service for young women aged 14-24 facing intersectional and multiple disadvantage, providing advocacy, therapy and community engagement interventions.
• West London Rape Crisis Centre
• London Survivors Gateway

Products and services

• Advice and Helplines Free, confidential advice-line service providing crisis support, information and onward referral to specialist services for women and girls in London affected by violence and abuse. Operates Advice Line (0808 801 0660), Sexual Violence Helpline (0808 801 0770) and London Survivors Gateway (0808 801 0860).
• Counselling and Therapeutic Support Trauma-informed therapeutic counselling and emotional support for survivors of gendered violence, delivered by trained specialist counsellors (including the Ascent Counselling pathway).
• Practical Support and Advocacy Practical advocacy and support including Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ISVA) services that help survivors navigate the criminal justice system, access resources and coordinate safety planning.
• Training and Consultancy Accredited training programmes, workshops and consultancy for professionals working with survivors of violence against women and girls, covering gender-based violence, child sexual abuse, safeguarding and trauma-informed practice.
• West London Rape Crisis Centre Specialist rape crisis service providing support, counselling and advocacy for survivors of sexual violence across West London boroughs.
• Legal Support Scheme Free legal advice and support scheme helping women navigate legal processes related to experiences of violence and abuse.
• Young Women's Services Specialist services for young women aged 13-25 affected by or at risk of abuse, violence or exploitation, including 1-to-1 advocacy support, group work, counselling, and the Experts by Experience programme.
• CouRAGEus Program Pan-London service for young women, LGBTQ+ young folks and disabled young people aged 14-24 from Black and Global majority communities, providing advocacy, counselling and community engagement through an intersectional Black feminist approach.
• Indigo Project Specialist advocacy project providing face-to-face appointments, accompaniments and outreach for women experiencing multiple disadvantage.
• ISVA Service Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ISVA) service providing dedicated support to survivors of sexual violence navigating the criminal justice process.
• London Survivors Gateway Central pan-London gateway service providing information and support for survivors of any form of sexual violence, regardless of gender.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,635 calls/contacts supported through Advice Line in 2023-24
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• London VAWG ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership of 22 women's organisations across London working together to deliver services for survivors of gendered violence.
• Angelou PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership addressing violence against women and girls in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
• EVAW Coalition (End Violence Against Women Coalition)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition working to end violence against women and girls through campaigning and lobbying.
• Galop (LGBT+ anti-abuse charity)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in CouRAGEus project providing specialist advocacy for LGBT+ young people across all of London.
• IKWRO (Women's Rights Organisation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing specialist advocacy and therapy for Middle Eastern and Afghan women and girls. Support available in Farsi, Dari, Kurdish, Arabic, Turkish and Pashto.
• RespondminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing specialist support for young women with learning disabilities and/or autism.
• Jewish Women's AidminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing specialist support for Jewish women and girls.
• Ashiana NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner covering East London (Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest) providing specialist advocacy, multiple disadvantage advocacy, and therapy.
• NiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner covering East London providing specialist advocacy and community engagement work.
• Solace Women's AidminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner covering North London (Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington) providing multiple disadvantage advocacy, therapy, and community engagement work.
• AdvanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner covering West London (Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster).
• Southall Black SistersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner covering West London (Ealing, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kingston-Upon-Thames and Richmond) providing multiple disadvantage advocacy with support in Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Bengali and Urdu.
• Big Lottery FoundationcoreOthersMajor funder of WGN's services and programs.
• Home OfficecoreOthersGovernment funder supporting WGN's work to end violence against women and girls.
• Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC)coreOthersLondon government body providing funding through Safer London Foundation for VAWG services.
• Ministry of JusticecoreOthersGovernment department providing funding for justice-related services including ISVA provision.
• NHS EnglandminorOthersHealthcare funder supporting WGN's services.
• Rape CrisisminorOthersNational charity providing funding and support for rape crisis services.
• London CouncilsminorOthersOrganization representing London's 32 boroughs and the City of London, providing cross-borough coordination and funding.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Galop: UK LGBT+ anti-abuse charity. Comparable as a CouRAGEus partner providing specialist advocacy for LGBT+ survivors, with overlapping counselling and advocacy services and shared funding streams.
• Solace Women's Aid: London specialist VAWG charity providing advocacy, refuge and counselling. Directly comparable as a CouRAGEus partner and as a London-based sister organisation competing for similar borough contracts.
• Southall Black Sisters: Specialist Black feminist organisation supporting women experiencing domestic and sexual violence, including honour-based abuse. Directly comparable as a Black feminist-led VAWG charity with overlapping service scope and a CouRAGEus partner.
• Jewish Women's Aid: UK charity providing specialist support to Jewish women and girls affected by domestic and sexual violence. Comparable as a CouRAGEus partner with a specialist-by-community service model similar to WGN's intersectional approach.
• Advance: West London specialist charity supporting women affected by domestic abuse and the criminal justice system. Comparable as a CouRAGEus partner and direct competitor for West London borough commissioning.
• Rape Crisis England & Wales: National umbrella body for specialist rape crisis centres, including WGN's own West London Rape Crisis Centre. Directly comparable as a sexual violence counselling, advocacy and helpline provider with similar trauma-informed clinical model.
• Ashiana Network: East London specialist service for Black and minority ethnic women affected by violence. Comparable as a CouRAGEus partner providing advocacy, therapy and outreach in overlapping London boroughs.
• IKWRO Women's Rights Organisation: UK charity supporting Middle Eastern and Afghan women facing honour-based violence, FGM and forced marriage. Directly comparable as a CouRAGEus partner offering multilingual advocacy and counselling to a specialist cohort.

Broad incumbents

• Women's Aid: National federation of domestic abuse services in England. Directly comparable as a VAWG specialist delivering advocacy, training, and policy influence; overlaps with WGN on training/consultancy and pan-London commissioning.
• Refuge: UK's largest domestic abuse charity, running the National Domestic Abuse Helpline and operating refuges nationwide. Comparable as a direct specialist VAWG service provider at much larger scale, competing with WGN for London and national commissioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/WomenandGirlsN
• Facebookfacebook.com/wgnlondon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/women-and-girls-network
• Instagraminstagram.com/womenandgirlsnetwork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about women and girls network