The RENA Initiative
Creating a safe space for women affected by loneliness and isolation.
While caring for a loved one can be an extremely rewarding experience, it can also be an isolating one. Artist Mellezia channelled those feelings to create The RENA Initiative – a CIC offering free visual arts programmes that create opportunities for people to be connected, empowered and valued.
Mellezia explains, “RENA stands for Recognising, Empowering and Nurturing Artists. Rena is also my mother’s name. She taught me that I could achieve whatever I set my mind to and be whoever I wanted to be. I wanted to be able to share that experience of being nurtured and empowered with others.”
Creative workshops
The RENA Initiative is currently delivering HeArty – a project co-designed with residents – where health and wellbeing practitioners come together with artists to share health education through fun and creative activities. Attendees are older women and women from global majority backgrounds ranging in age from 24 to 86. One participant shares, “There are very few spaces like this one in which, as women, we can be totally free to express ourselves and be at peace with one another. We share many things not only about art but also about our lives and that is very special.”
Tackling isolation
A key aim of The RENA Initiative is to help ease social isolation and loneliness. As one participant shares, “The project has done excellent work to educate me, improve my self-esteem, expose my hidden talent, keep me in touch with the community, gain new friendships and have a better quality of life.”
Empowering women
Mellezia mentors others to lead workshops, set up their own business and develop their project ideas. One mentee shares, “I feel Mellezia has a genuine interest in developing my know-how, best practices, care and attention for these workshops and events, which has boosted my confidence. Even if I were to hit a bump, there is always guidance and support.”
Menopause Awareness Month
This year, as in previous years, October’s HeArty workshop was focused on Menopause Awareness Month. Mellezia explains, “Due to the way that women, especially Black women, have been treated by medical professionals in the past, there’s a resistance to asking for help. It’s really important for me to create safe spaces where the community feel empowered and able to advocate for themselves. This year, we partnered with health coach Lorraine Fontaine of TheWellHealthSpace.com to explore how to support brain health and emotional wellbeing through the stages of menopause. Artist Jenny Bardoville then led a session on neurographic art.”
HUC’s grant
We recently awarded The RENA Initiative a £7,684 grant to support its work. Mellezia says, “We could not afford to provide our services without the help of this grant.
“What I love about HUC is that they are embedded in the community. They invest in grassroots organisations and projects that are important to residents. HUC trust and empower us to deliver our services, and they are accessible if we need support.”
Broadening horizons
“The cost-of-living crisis is massively impacting our community,” Mellezia says. “We provide activities that are fun and free. As well as workshops, we go on monthly outings. This month, we’re going to London Zoo; we’ll have a guided tour of the zoological society library, explore the zoo, sketch some of the animals and enjoy a nice lunch. That is something that would otherwise be completely out of reach for many people.”
The women agree. As one says, “This project has given me the opportunity to visit places I thought was out of my reach. It has broadened my horizon.”
The RENA Initiative has turned into a true tribute to Mellezia’s mother and helped Mellezia to work through her grief at losing her mother, “It helps to keep me going, knowing that something beautiful has come out of such immense loss. It is thriving, it lives on and it’s helping others.”
Find out more
The RENA Initiative’s HeArty workshops and outings both take place once a month on a Thursday. If you’d like to join, email info@therenainitiative.com or visit www.therenainitiative.com
Guy is a retired solicitor who has lived in Hammersmith for over 40 years. As well as having a long legal career, Guy has decades of experience in the not-for-profit sector. He was a school governor for 35 years and spent several years volunteering as Chair of the Finance Committee at Hammersmith & Fulham Law Centre. If you recognise Guy, that’s probably because he also served as a local councillor for Hammersmith & Fulham.
“We recently represented a migrant woman who was trafficked to the UK by a wealthy family. She was forced to work extremely long hours as a nanny, housekeeper and cleaner. She didn’t receive anywhere near the minimum wage, and the family had control of her passport and bank account.”
Everyone at Hammersmith United Charities would like to thank Vivienne Lukey as she steps down after 12 years as a trustee, including six years as Chair.