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From Phoenix Farm to Ravenscourt Glasshouses, Hammersmith’s community gardens offer much needed pockets of nature in our urban landscape. Five of these green spaces are managed by Hammersmith Community Gardens Association (HCGA), which also looks after community spaces in Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea. The charity is led by Director Cathy Maund, who also finds time to be Treasurer of the London City Farms & Community Gardens Association.

We spoke to Cathy for our Inspiring women series, in the run up to International Women’s Day.

Do you think the UK has achieved gender equity, or are there still some barriers to overcome?

There are still challenges but things are changing; I can see that with my daughter’s experience of work. When I had kids, we had to pay for absolutely everything when it came to childcare, whereas now some of it is funded. However, statutory maternity pay is still crap! As a charity, I wish we could give people a year off on full pay, but we just can’t afford to do that.

Many women choose not to work in high-pressured jobs full time so that we can have a family, but that does come at a financial cost. It’s always a juggle.

Have you experienced any barriers in your career due to your gender?

No, but I’ve always worked in the charity sector and have been with HCGA for more than 30 years, so I think things might have been different if I’d been climbing the corporate ladder.

One of the things I’m very proud about is that HCGA has always been mainly led by women. At the moment, we’re up to 23 people – three are men and the rest are women. I think women are more likely than men to move into the charity sector; they often move over from the corporate sector when they’ve had kids.

The team works very collectively, we have quite a flat organisational structure. It’s a very small, close world, the community gardening and city farming world, and it’s been a privilege to work for one organisation for so long and see it grow.

Which women leaders inspire you?

Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, is pretty good. I also really like Margaret Atwood, partly because I enjoy reading, but also because she’s quite political in what she says.

Women still don’t shout about their strengths and achievements enough, and they should.

HCGA celebrated its 40^th anniversary last year. Along with managing community gardens, the charity runs a range of projects, from weekly sessions in schools to community workshops.

HCGA is currently running a series of free walks to help people discover new places in their borough. Find out more at https://hcga.org.uk/events/

To mark International Women’s Day on 8^th March 2025, we’re celebrating some of Hammersmith’s top female community leaders. Simi Ryatt, CEO at Citizens Advice Hammersmith & Fulham, tells us about her career and why she’d love to see more female role models.

Tell us about the difference you’re making in Hammersmith.

I am the CEO of Citizens Advice Hammersmith & Fulham, where I have been for 14 years. Over those years, I have built strong relationships with the many different people working across different sectors, from commissioners to politicians, council officers, service users and peers working in other voluntary sector organisations. I feel that Citizens Advice makes a massive impact in the community and transforms people’s lives, and I feel very privileged to be able to lead an organisation that makes such a big difference. It makes my job so much more meaningful. It also helps me to have impact in other areas. I am currently a trustee of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, which explores the relationship between money and mental health.

Have you experienced any barriers in your career due to being a woman?

I believe I would have encountered more barriers had I remained in the private sector. I initially pursued a career in law, training to become a solicitor, but the legal profession in this country is well-established and has traditionally been male dominated. At the time, I felt that opportunities in law were largely accessible to individuals from certain economic backgrounds, often those with private or public school education and established professional networks – none of which I had as a woman of colour, an immigrant, and someone without those connections to accelerate my career. Securing a training contract was particularly challenging, which led me to begin volunteering at Citizens Advice.

As a child, I had an idealistic vision of using the law to help people. However, I found that within the legal profession, the emphasis was predominantly on financial targets, which I didn’t find personally fulfilling. My passion lay in social justice – ensuring that individuals who struggled to access legal support received the help they needed. This realisation led me to focus more on my work at Citizens Advice, where I eventually transitioned into a paid role and worked my way up.

Citizens Advice, with its national reach and federated structure, has provided me with extensive opportunities to work across different parts of the organisation, both locally and nationally, broadening my experience and skill set. This foundation also opened doors for me in the private sector. For example, alongside my role at Citizens Advice, I worked as a freelance trainer, delivering management and leadership training for major corporate organisations.

Ultimately, the charity sector has provided me with career opportunities that I may not have been able to access as easily in the private sector, enabling me to develop professionally while staying true to my values and commitment to social justice.

Do you think we need to be recognising intersectionality more when we talk about gender equity?

I think so. We cannot look at things in isolation. When I was younger, I certainly didn’t appreciate the intricacies or the importance of that intersectionality – about how important the networks are, how important it is to go to the right school, to get the right job etc, and how not doing so places you at a huge disadvantage. Alongside being a person of colour and being a woman, all of that just makes the mountain a little bit harder to climb.

How would you describe your leadership style?

It’s very important to me to have integrity and to be authentic. I want to make a difference and help people, but to do that in a way that is open and transparent. I have been lucky in my current role to have been given the flexibility to work around my children, which as a single parent enabled me to hold a senior leadership position. Through this, I learned that flexibility and trust actually enhances performance, unleashes creativity and fosters commitment – traits which I think are really important in a senior leadership role. As such, my leadership style is to provide flexibility, operate on the basis of trust and give people the freedom to flourish without micromanaging them.

What do you think governments and organisations can do to help bring about gender equity?

There are numerous steps that governments and organisations can take to promote gender equity. Firstly, organisations should make top-level, public commitments to gender equality, ensuring that it is embedded within their culture and strategic objectives. Addressing the gender pay gap is also critical. While legislation plays a role, transparency around pay scales – particularly at senior levels – is essential to ensuring fair and equitable compensation.

Access to education and professional development pathways is another key factor. Financial barriers often prevent women from advancing in their careers, so providing sponsorships, scholarships or funded training programmes can help bridge this gap and create more equitable opportunities.

Organisations should also implement clear, objective performance frameworks that provide evidence-based assessments of achievement. Transparent promotion pathways enable women to understand what is required to progress into leadership roles, reducing ambiguity and ensuring that talent and capability are recognised fairly.

Additionally, flexible working policies are crucial in supporting work-life balance, particularly for those with childcare or other caregiving responsibilities. By fostering an inclusive workplace culture that accommodates diverse needs, organisations can help create an environment where women can thrive and advance in their careers.

Are there any local women leaders who particularly inspire you?

I believe there is a noticeable lack of visible female role models – women who young professionals and aspiring leaders can look up to for inspiration. Men often tend to be more vocal about their achievements, whereas women, in general, may not always highlight their accomplishments as prominently.

Locally, there seem to be limited platforms for showcasing and promoting community leaders. Creating more opportunities for visibility could lead to initiatives such as mentoring and shadowing, which would be invaluable for aspiring women leaders.

One potential solution could be organising a conference featuring women leaders from Hammersmith and the surrounding areas. This could serve as a platform for them to share their experiences, discuss the challenges they have overcome, and offer guidance to others. By fostering dialogue and mentorship, such an initiative could help support the next generation of female leaders and promote greater gender equity in leadership.

Citizens Advice Hammersmith & Fulham provides free, confidential advice about benefits, debt, housing, employment and consumer rights. You can call 0808 278 7832 for advice, chat to an adviser online, or speak to someone face-to-face at:

Avonmore Library
North End Road W14 8TG
Monday to Friday, 10am-3.30pm

Citizens Advice @ Nourish Hub
Nourish Hub, Unit A, Swanscombe House, 1 St Ann’s Road, W11 4SS
Tuesday & Wednesday, 10am-3.30pm

In honour of International Women’s Day, we’re spotlighting some of Hammersmith’s most inspirational community leaders. In the hotseat today is Clare Morris, co-founder of dementia charity For Brian.

How are you making a difference in your community?

I’ve always worked to extend the boundaries of dementia care. When you’re working with people with dementia, you need flexibility, you need to think outside the box, and you need to provide continuity and familiarity.

My focus is on creating a real community of people who can choose activities that suit them, dip in and out as they choose, and feel that they belong. For Brian complements traditional streamlined services and enables people with dementia to live independently for longer.

What barriers, if any, have you faced as a woman in your career?

I’ve always had high expectations for myself but have sometimes struggled to meet them in a corporate setting. I’ve gone after things if I really believe in them and am tenacious in that respect, but I’ve learnt to plant seeds and let them grow. It is less stressful! The older I get, the more I recognise paternalism in society and how that might have contributed to challenges over the years.

I remember when I was working as a speech therapist, there was a restructuring of grading and pay for speech therapists. The woman in charge of doing so downgraded my pay band, doing what was expected of her. Was that because I was a woman? I don’t know, but I do know that speech therapy was mainly a woman’s profession. The union rep, a man, achieved a good outcome for my colleagues and I, to get us upgraded, or should I say recognised and valued. Unions had more influence then.

These days, working in co-production with people with lived experience, and working for myself, seems to side-step gender inequality, but perhaps that’s easier at my age?

What do you think needs to happen to achieve wider gender equity?

I think it’s important to talk about it, to get it out on the table. Things are much better than they were in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Men aren’t as paternalistic, but there are still issues, so education is still needed.

A high expectation of yourself, belief in yourself and belief in what you are doing are vital, but you also need to learn to communicate that. You never stop learning.

Which other female community leaders are you inspired by?

For me, it’s the people who will go out of their way for you, and who you have a spark with. Sharon Tomlin, for example, has been incredibly supportive and we share an understanding of working in the community. We have good conversations and share feedback that moves us forward. It is always a pleasure.

Another woman who has stuck by me is Margaret Adjaye, who teaches at Roehampton University Business School. We were put in touch by the London Community Foundation, so she could support me to develop my business skills. Margaret is so good at all the things that I’m not good at! I’ve learned so much from her; she’s helped me to become more of a businesswoman yet retain the ethos of heading a sustainable organisation that is guided by  members with lived experience.

I’m also inspired by our new director, Carol Sargant. She lives in Loughborough but used to work in pharmacology and her father had dementia, which prompted a change in career. She is skilled in setting up co-operatives, and shares our vision of enabling people with dementia to improve their quality of life through travel.

And there’s Elise Brown, who set up Mama Haven and is upskilling young women to become leaders and to expect a decent salary. A successful professional woman, she encourages aspiration in other women.

For Brian

For Brian’s vision is to ‘cultivate a society where dementia inclusivity thrives, ensuring equal access and opportunities for all individuals to actively engage and derive wellbeing from their community.’

The social enterprise is working to tackle the challenges faced by people who have dementia and connects people with activities to improve their wellbeing. As one client says, “I have attended art therapy, a day at the Royal College of Art, street parties, technology classes and cycling … It’s the place I go for support and help, and they are always there for me … They change lives.”

You can find out more about For Brian at www.forbrian.co

Many of us can easily reel off our favourite childhood stories, from the Tiger Who Came to Tea, to Harry Potter, the Faraway Tree and The Cat in the Hat. And yet today, almost 20% of children aged five to eight don’t own a single book. As well as impacting their love of reading, this can have far-reaching consequences.

According to the OECD, reading for pleasure is even more important for children’s educational success than their family’s socio-economic status. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds who are doing well by the end of primary school are twice as likely to have been read to at home in their early years than those who are doing poorly.

The Children’s Book Project

The Children’s Book Project was founded by Hammersmith-resident Liberty Venn to get more books into the hands of more children. She says, “In the course of my work with literacy-oriented charities and with children’s publishers, I became aware of the positive role that early access to books plays in children’s development and in their outcomes. Children become immersed in stories and with characters; they enjoy themselves and, without realising, their literacy improves.”

Of course, as book lovers know, books aren’t only important for educational success. Kate Morgan-Evans is the Grants & Engagement Manager at the Children’s Book Project. She shares, “There’s a lot of research about the benefits of reading for mental health and wellbeing. You can escape into a book from real life. It broadens your imagination, introduces new ideas and can take you to new worlds. When you read with your child, their heart rate slows and there’s a release of endorphins. It’s a really, really powerful thing.”

Around 135,000 children across the UK receive books from the Children’s Book Project each year. The charity mainly distributes books through schools, but also works with food banks, refuges, community groups, prisons and women’s groups.

Barriers to reading

There are many barriers to reading, including the cost of books. As Kate points out, even £2 for a book in a charity shop can be unaffordable for families who are struggling with the cost of living. Not all parents grew up with a culture of reading and not all have experienced the benefits or joy that a book can bring.

Libraries do play a vital role in promoting reading, but hundreds have shut across the country in recent years, and the most disadvantaged areas are four times more likely than the richest to have lost a publicly funded library. While primary schools loan books to children, the books are usually from a specific reading scheme and designed with phonics in mind, rather than just pleasure.

Kate says, “With the Children’s Book Project, children get to choose their books, take them home and keep them. There’s no time limit on them, so those books can be enjoyed time and time again and shared with the rest of the family. Giving a child a book shows the child that they’re important, that they’re valued, that they’re special.”

New homes for old books

The books distributed by the Children’s Book Project are all pre-loved or surplus, having been donated by families or publishers. Rather than just handing the books out, the schools host book gifting events, where children can look through all the books available and choose the ones they want to take home.

Kate shares, “We’ll be gifting more than 500,000 preloved and surplus books to children this academic year. We aim to work with each school over multiple years, which helps to create a book-rich environment. We provide bunting and tokens so the school can mimic a shop experience, as many of the children will never have been to a bookshop.”

Working with schools in Hammersmith

The charity recently received a £3,000 grant from Hammersmith United Charities. It will use the grant to deliver books to around 1,200 children in total at Brackenbury Primary School, Flora Gardens Primary School and Wormholt Park Primary School. Every child in the three Hammersmith schools will be able to choose up to six books to take home and keep.

According to one teacher at Wormholt Park Primary School, “The pop up book shops are eagerly awaited. The children take great delight in looking at, sharing, recommending and choosing a book to take home and keep. For many children, this has been the first time they have had the experience of visiting a ‘book shop’. Books make the difference, books can change lives.”

Liberty adds, “All children should be able to access a book without the cost being a barrier and so we are incredibly excited to be supported by Hammersmith United Charities and expand our work in the borough.”

Donate books

Do you have books needing a new home? The Children’s Book Project accepts fiction and non-fiction books suitable for children. It can’t accept:

• Old or damaged books
• Encyclopaedias, textbooks, revision books or religious texts
• DVDs or CDs
• Ex-library or reading scheme books

If you’d like to donate a book, you can drop it off at several locations in Hammersmith and Fulham, including Bute House Preparatory School for Girls and Winkworth estate agents. Find your nearest collection point and register your details here.

Volunteer for the Children’s Book Project

The Children’s Book Project relies on volunteers for a number of roles. You could help to sort through books, liaise with schools or promote the charity’s work on social media. Find out more at www.childrensbookproject.co.uk