Training

WDS provides training on the effective involvement of communities, particularly women, in the evolution of the urban environment, from conducting environmental safety audits with minority ethnic women to the design of public toilets.

Since 1986, we have developed expertise in a range of areas, including:

• women and community safety
• neighbourhood health and safety audits
• women and regeneration
• tenant participation
• participative approaches to community involvement and consultation
• designing for small children
• designing housing for older women
• designing women's public toilets
• equality and planning

Our approach to designing training courses is a participative one. We work closely with the organisation or group requesting the training to ensure that WDS meets the training brief, and we evaluate all of our courses. Our training style is a participative and inclusive one; we believe that people learn most effectively by doing rather than listening or reading. In addition to these participative courses, we also do lectures and presentations on issues relating to women and the urban environment

We seek to make all of our training courses accessible, and ensure that the access needs of participants are key factor in the design of training, for example, all of our training materials are translated into languages appropriate to the group, and we use sign language interpreters or lip readers where needed. We have trained a variety of groups from Somali refugee women to police officers.

Consultancy

WDS offers a consultancy service on a whole range of issues relating to women and the urban environment. We can do individual consultancies lasting a day, as well as undertaking a more in-depth consultancy role on a long term community project.

We have extensive experience in a wide variety of areas. Past commissions have ranged from designing women-friendly sports centres to designing sanitary towel receptacles. We are able to call on additional expertise from within our extensive networks of planners, architects voluntary organisations and community workers and activists.

Our approach is an inclusive and participative one, and we will work with you to clarify the terms of the consultancy brief, to deliver the consultancy to your satisfaction.

Further information

For details of training and consultancy we can offer your group or to discuss your training or consultancy needs, please contact Wendy Davis, Director
on +44 20 7490 5210,
or email her at [email protected]