What we do

Elderly woman sitting near a door Luton All Women’s Centre (LAWC) has been supporting women and girls living in Luton and Bedfordshire since the early 1990s. Offering a wide-range of advisory, information, practical and holistic support services, our aim is to challenge gender inequality and empower women and girls to enjoy lives that are safer, healthier and fairer.

Within our safe, women-only space, situated in central Luton, we welcome all women, regardless of age, disability, gender, marital status, race, belief or sexuality. Many of the women and girls we support have complex or multiple support needs – and frequently these have been caused by traumatic experiences such as domestic abuse, violence, coercion, harmful practices or sexual exploitation.

Tackling these (and other issues that place women at a disadvantage in our society), our services are based around the following principles:

Safety

We place high value on every women and girl’s right to live their life free from violence and abuse. Through our specialist Domestic Abuse and Harmful Practices services, we not only provide 1-1 and group support for those affected but also carry out preventative work across our community (for instance via educational activities in schools and colleges plus training programmes for professionals and other agencies).

Health and wellbeing

We’re helping women whose health and wellbeing have been adversely affected by traumatic experiences in their lives to improve both their physical and mental health. We offer professional and peer-led support, structured group sessions, wellbeing workshops, professional counselling, exercise classes, health drop-in sessions and a range of opportunities for recreational/ social activities.

Improving prospects

We’re empowering women to lead independent lives, by facilitating access to specialist advice (e.g. debt management), providing education and key skills development activities (e.g. confidence building and employability skills), and support women to access to meaningful volunteering/ employment opportunities.

Progressing gender equality

We’re aiming to bring a sea change across our region in relation to the issues and root causes of inequality and disadvantage among women and girls. Working in partnership with many other local organisations and networks, we’re raising awareness of these issues, organising and participating in relevant events or campaigns, collaborating on projects, and playing our part in influencing local policy wherever it has a gendered impact.

At Luton All Women’s Centre, our range of services is always evolving.

To find out more, or make a suggestion about how we might empower and support women/ girls in your part of the town, please contact us.

Latest

Vote for us in Luton’s Best Awards!

Luton All Women’s Centre is thrilled to have won the Keeping Luton Safe award at this year’s Luton Best Awards. Congratulations to our team and huge thanks to our funders and everyone else who supports our work – you have all been part of enabling this fantastic achievement! Now, we are in the running to win the ‘People’s Choice Award’ but need your support. Please vote for us before the deadline of 30th June. Thank you!
Happy International Women's Day!

Wishing you a happy and inspirational International Women’s Day 2021. This year we’re linking to the United Nations theme about celebrating how women all over the world have coped with the pandemic and how we need to use this as a platform for greater gender equality going forwards.
International Women’s Day

March 8th, 3.00 - 4.30 pm on Zoom. Join us on this celebratory day as we reflect on how women have been affected by the events of the last year and consider the key issues for women right now and what we need to focus on in the year ahead.
Introduction to the new Domestic Abuse programme Own My Life (For Women)

March 9th, 10.00 – 11.00 am on Zoom. A short introduction to the 12 week programme run regularly by Luton All Women’s Centre, for any woman who is having relationship problems, is feeling uncomfortable with a partner’s behaviour or where something isn’t right at home.

What we do

Luton All Women’s Centre (LAWC) has been supporting women and girls living in Luton and Bedfordshire since the early 1990s. Offering a wide-range of advisory, information, practical and holistic support services, our aim is to challenge gender inequality and empower women and girls to enjoy lives that are safer, healthier and fairer.
Jobs

New jobs information will be added to this page very shortly. If you are interested in joining us please check back with us again soon.
Vote for us in Luton’s Best Awards!

Luton All Women’s Centre is thrilled to have won the Keeping Luton Safe award at this year’s Luton Best Awards. Congratulations to our team and huge thanks to our funders and everyone else who supports our work – you have all been part of enabling this fantastic achievement! Now, we are in the running to win the ‘People’s Choice Award’ but need your support. Please vote for us before the deadline of 30th June. Thank you!
Domestic abuse

Almost 30% of women in England and Wales say they have experienced domestic violence/abuse since the age of 16. If you are affected by this issue, Luton All Women's Centre is there to help.
Make a referral

If you’re a professional and think someone you’re supporting could benefit from any of the services we provide at Luton All Women’s Centre, the team would be happy to hear from you.
Counselling

Whether you’re dealing with stress, anxiety, abuse, bereavement or any other distressing issue in your life, it can be easy to feel alone or that everything has moved beyond your point of control. Counselling provides the opportunity to talk with someone about how you’re feeling in a wholly supportive, confidential and non-judgemental environment. At Luton All Women’s Centre, professional counselling is an ongoing and vital part of the holistic support we offer to our clients.
Other groups

Luton All Women's Centre offers a range of support groups for women whose health and wellbeing have been affected by various life-events - including childhood sexual abuse, bereavement and menopause.
Health and wellbeing

The importance of maintaining good physical health, mental health and general wellbeing cannot be over-emphasised. For the women we support at Luton All Women's Centre, such things aren't always easy. Our centre provides a wide range of services which aim to help vulnerable women in Luton with this area of their lives.
Essential information

Take a look at all the essential information you need to know about Luton All Women's Centre including COVID-19 updates plus our normal opening times, facilities and accessibility information.
Partners and funders

LAWC is actively involved with several other agencies, networks and partnerships – all of which help us to ensure the work we do is relevant, up-to-date and effectively meeting the needs of the diverse Luton community. As a charity, the centre depends almost entirely on funding received from grant-making bodies, community organisations and voluntary donations. We’re thankful to everyone who supports our work.