Sister Stories

Circle work is an ancient practice, kept alive by native communities. We recognise the rich lineages which preserved the practises that are so essential to our humanity. 

Seeking to have a widespread revival of Circle cannot mean it is reserved for a privileged few. Since the inception of Sister Stories, we have been asking questions of how this work can be more accessible and how bursary schemes can accompany all our paid offerings. We offer a range of free places to attend Circles and provide training resources at no cost.  We have offerings that are low cost and a thriving bursary scheme for our Facilitator programmes as well as higher investment access points that helps sustain us in our work.  Since 2019, we have awarded over £100,000 of bursary scheme places to our Circle Facilitation programme.

It is important to note alongside seeking financial accessibiliy, that we operate in Late Stage Capitalism, the organisation is run by a single mother and it pays between 15 and 20 women a year to support and deliver its programmes and infrastructure. As such, we need to charge for this work to allow the entire ecosystem to continue to operate and deliver high-quality programmes.

We desire everyone to feel invited, included and empowered to share the truth of their experiences in our spaces. If we are providing a space for stories to be told, these spaces must feel brave.* (*This idea is taken from the article “From Safe Spaces to Brave Space- A New Way to Frame Dialogue around Diversity & Social Justice by Brian Areo & Kristi Clemens, originally published in The Art of Effective Facilitation. This poem by Beth Strano encapsulates the idea here) 

As Founder, I am actively engaged in “the work” of anti-racism and anti oppression work more broadly, challenging myself to see the ways in which my position as a white woman may be impacting those who enter my spaces from different backgrounds. This is an ongoing process to which I am committed. A growth area of my learning is gender expansiveness and weaving this work into the spaces and trainings we create. 

We want to reduce harm in our spaces and desire to create an environment in which a rich, diverse tapestry of stories and voices can be shared. 

Although Sister Stories and the Circles we provide feel ‘spiritual’ to many and tends to that part of us that yearns for meaningful connection, we are a secular space and do not discriminate on the basis of any belief system or faith. 

As part of our mission to spread Circle work, seeking to create accessible spaces is a core part of our work and praxtice. You can read our Accessibility statement and policies here.

The Women’s Circle movement is an important one and holds great potential and power for transformation. It also holds the ability to cause harm. Our facilitation programmes seek to create a community of Space Holders & Circle Facilitators who are devoted to their learning, who hold space with nuance and integrity. Who have the skills and learning to hold complex emotion in the space and feel equipped to do so with sensitivity, confidence and care. We believe that Facilitators who commit to their own ongoing practice and learning can create spaces of real depth and impact whilst actively seeking to minimise harm caused in their space. 

Engaging in Circle work is a remembrance. Of who we are, where we come from and the ways in which being together in community is vital to the health of ourselves and the land. We believe that reconnecting ourselves and our communities to Circle work can be a gateway to activism for some of the most important issues of our time. 

• Nisha Moodley- Devotional Leadership 

• Eva Glamaris- Sacred Inclusion (Anti-Racism) 

• Katie Kurtz- Trauma Informed Space Holding 

• Claire Rother- Trauma Informed Teaching & Coaching 

• Institute of Narrative Therapy

• Dialogue For Peaceful Change- Conflict Facilitation Training & Mediation

• Pause Place- Love, Presence Connection 

• Beautiful You Coaching Academy