The History of WE:ARE

The original organisation started life in 1998 as the Allens Croft Project working in community development and supporting young people and elderly residents in the local area.

The domestic abuse project was added in 2002 and grew out of the need identified by two survivors who recognised that the underlying issue behind almost everyone who was coming into the project for advice was domestic abuse.

Whether the presenting issue was benefits, debt, housing, children, mental health, drink, drugs, social services involvement, on further inquiry domestic abuse was the reason behind every presenting issue.

The project soon started gaining recognition throughout the City, gaining awards and funding opportunities and became known as the Birmingham Freedom Project. In 2016 the organisation changed hands to a new management committee of health professionals who had an interest in women and children’s health, especially those impacted by domestic abuse.

The organisation now exclusively supports women who have experienced abuse and offers a pathway of programmes.

For many years we’ve been informally known as Birmingham Freedom Project, and in November 2019 we changed our name to reflect what we actually do: WE:ARE Women’s Empowerment And Recovery Educators.