Happy International Women’s Day!
Every year the 8th March is celebrated as International Women’s Day. It is a collective world wide effort for gender equality, not owned by any one single organisation as it is something that we all need to work towards together – co-creating a world of diversity, inclusivity and celebration. Celebrating all people who identify as women.
“You can do some rather extraordinary things if that’s what you really believe.”
– Toni Morrison
This blog post is to introduce you to the work of The Nest and signpost to some other women’s support organisations in the Exeter and Devon area. First we’d like to share this video by spoken word poet Anisa Nandaula…
The Nest Southwest is a community interest company based in Exeter, Devon, set up to support women and girls through the major life transitions of menstruation, pregnancy, birth and menopause. We offer social, emotional and informational support through a variety of women’s peer support groups, menstrual wellbeing workshops, webinars, social media presence and a hire service to reduce landfill waste while saving money. We are passionate about creating community by opening spaces that foster non-judgement, build peer support networks, and grow respect for self, others and the planet.

We currently offer:
- Menopause Café chat group
- Nesters weekly pregnancy support group
- Nestlings fortnightly new mums group
- Private WhatsApp groups for our members
- Hire/borrow service for birth items
- Core Restore postnatal classes
- A Perinatal Peer Support Network (PPSN)
- Webinar Wednesdays for pregnancy, birth & parenting
- Grief Tending in Community events (coming soon)
- Menstrual Wellbeing workshops in schools
- YouTube channel
- Facebook and Instagram

Other Exeter women’s support groups…
- Mothers Who Make creativity group
- Dreadnought celebrating women’s voices
- Choices Pregnancy / baby loss / abortion support
- Devon United Women networking
- Women’s Aid against domestic abuse
- Mother’s Union
- Wild Wanderers’ women’s walking group
Whatever you choose to do with your time we hope you will take a moment after reading this blog to reflect on the world you live in. Big changes are often made up of little actions taken consistently over a long period of time, and to create a world where gender equality is a reality, the changes need to first start inside ourselves and our beliefs.
“Put your ear down close to your soul and listen hard.”
Anne Sexton
Comments? Please drop us a line. We’d love to hear from you…