Celebrating Our New Anthology with Advance

Celebrating Our New Anthology with Advance

I’m delighted to share our newest anthology, a collection created in partnership with Advance, a non-profit organisation with whom SIG Safe Ground has built a long and meaningful relationship.

Over several weeks, we collaborated with the brilliant poet Toria Garbutt to deliver a series of poetry workshops for women accessing Advance services across London. The anthology began as part of our Our Own Stories project, but the group quickly made it their own, even choosing to adapt the title to reflect their collective voice.

At the end of January, we held a private launch event, a powerful and deeply moving gathering held behind closed doors to prioritise the safety and well-being of the women involved, many of whom are survivors of domestic abuse. Although the event was intimate, we were joined by SIG’s Director of Services and Support and Policy and Impact Manager to celebrate the women and their extraordinary work.

One piece of feedback in particular has stayed with me: “This experience and the work I have done with you and the group has been the most humbling and exciting experience I have had in all my life, and I really do commend you in doing all that you are doing for the betterment of women and humanity as a whole.”

Having produced more than 60 community books over the years, I can genuinely say this may be my favourite. The design is beautiful, and the writing is astonishing, especially given that much of it was created in just a few weeks. The honesty, craft and emotional depth these women brought to the page are remarkable. Even more inspiring is their eagerness to continue writing and performing. Their confidence has grown, their voices are stronger than ever, and I’m already in conversation with Advance’s senior leadership team about what comes next.

If you’d like to explore the anthology, you can read or download the full PDF using the link below. I encourage you to take your time with it; sit with the poems, revisit them, and feel the collective power of what these women have created together.

Click here to access the Anthology (PDF)

This anthology is more than a book; it’s a testament to what becomes possible when women are given space, safety and encouragement to speak. I couldn’t be prouder of them or more inspired by what they’ve created.

If you’d like to learn more about SIG Safe Ground’s work or explore opportunities to collaborate, we would love to hear from you.