In the world to change it
How the centre is used
Women and children can come to take a short break or holiday, individually, with friends, or as a women’s group/organisation. Large groups can make a “closed house” group booking and have the house to themselves. The house is an ideal place for holding skill-sharing workshops, training days or short courses. Visitors are asked to respect other women’s lifestyles. Any attitude or behaviour which is felt to be oppressive will be challenged and women will be asked to leave. The centre’s policies are displayed on the house noticeboard, and further down this page.
Why it is a Womens Holiday Centre?
empowering women and girls
A Women only space helps to increase women’s confidence, independence and self-esteem, giving them a greater sense of control over their lives, and more options to make positive changes. It can go some way to address the marginalisation, exclusions and isolation that many women feel. Role modelling is important – women see other women challenging traditional notions of what women can do, and see that other women who have faced similar challenges are now thriving. It gives women a chance to explore the commonalities of being women, across different experiences, background and identity. Some groups of women experience greater marginalisation and isolation, and have particular experiences of being both female and dealing with the impacts of racism, xenophobia, homophobia, disablism, class poverty, health status. The chance to have closed houses for specific groups of women provides an opportunity to develop a sense of autonomy and self-determination.
Workers
beautiful women
There are two resident workers who are happy and willing to help visitors make the most of their stay. They are responsible for the general day-to-day running of the house. In the event of a closed house their involvement can be negotiated. See our being a worker web page if you are interested in working here
Donations
Donations and fundraising have enabled the centre to survive. However, the house is under-funded and visitors payments do not cover all the expenses. We urgently need to raise money at the moment to pay for essential fire safety work – see our fundraising page for more info.
There is a covenant system set up so that no tax is paid on regular donations. Ask a worker for more details. We also have a “wish list” of things we need for the house and will gratefully receive any help in acquiring these items.
The Last Thing…
look after your workers!
Look after your workers! This is a really demanding job that requires women to exercise all their skills on any given day. Please help by making their lives as easy as possible. Respect their space and right to privacy – the WHC is their home as well as their place of work (and your holiday home!). Take responsibility for the spaces you use – it’s a huge house to clean if guests don’t do their bit. You wont know about all the jobs that the workers need to do, but aside from chopping wood, shopping, finance and washing, there are a hundred little jobs to be done each day.
Most of all, remember to enjoy yourself, you’re on holiday! You have the right to have a good time while you are here, and it’s important to respect other women and children’s rights to enjoy their holidays, too. Many new friendships have been forged at the WHC, and romance has been known to blossom! We hope that you will like it enough to come back, and to continue enjoying and supporting this special place.
Equal Opportunities and other Policies
The Women’s Holiday Centre (W.H.C.) resolve to have a continual review of all policies set out below.
RACISM / XENOPHOBIA AND ANTI-SEMITISM
HOMOPHOBIA
GENDER IDENTITY
DISABILITY
CLASS
SEX DISCRIMINATION
NON-VIOLENCE
PARENTAL STATUS
DRESS
AGE
RELIGION
HIV STATUS
MEAT FREE POLICY
PARTY / NOISE POLICY
SMOKING POLICY
DOGS POLICY
CHILD PROTECTION POLICY
party time!
The W.H.C. is committed to the full implementation of Equal Opportunities in all aspects of its work. It is recognised that, in our society, groups and individuals are discriminated against on the basis of race, colour, national and ethnic origin, disability, gender, lesbian / bisexual / gay identity or HIV status. This discrimination may be direct or indirect. The aim of the W.H.C. Equal Opportunities Policy is to ensure that no employee, job applicant, management collective member or visitor receives less favourable on any of the grounds stated above.
The W.H.C. is committed to taking positive action to redress discrimination and to provide genuine equality of opportunity in employment and service delivery.
RACISM / XENOPHOBIA AND ANTI-SEMITISM
The W.H.C. recognised that the U.K. is a multi-racial society and believes that cultural diversity positively enriches our society. We recognise that black women and women from other ethnic minority groups suffer daily the effects of racism in our society. We also recognise that Jewish women suffer the effects of anti-Semitism.
- We support the struggle to redress the power imbalance.
- We will give our active support to women who suffer racial discrimination and harassment.
- We aim to ensure that the service we provide is relevant and accessible to all women.
To this end the W.H.C. will ensure that active measures are taken to:
- Combat racism within the organisation.
- Challenge institutionalised and individual racism when encountered in other organisations or trades.
- To support black and ethnic minority organisations with aims and objectives similar to those of the W.H.C..
HOMOPHOBIA
The W.H.C. is open to all women. Anti-lesbian, bisexual or anti-gay remarks will not be tolerated. We recognise that these minority groups suffer the effects of homophobia daily, that heterosexuals have more power in our society and we aim to fight this oppression. The W.H.C. is committed to providing a service that is:
- Sensitive to the needs of lesbian / bisexual women.
- Actively challenging prejudice.
- Providing information about lesbian/bisexual events and issues.
GENDER IDENTITY
The W.H.C. has recently reviewed its policy around gender identity and welcomes input on this via management@hortonwhc.org.uk.
We recognise that transgender people face oppression, discrimination and often violence due to their transgender identity. We also recognise that the traditional male and female roles which are part of the oppression faced by born women are also at the root of the oppression of transgender people.
At this time we are able only to welcome women born women and living as women. This is because the accommodation is shared, and some women born women could feel that their ‘women only safe space’ experience feels compromised by the presence of some transgender women. We are committed to ensuring that Horton is experienced as a women only safe space, especially since it is the only women only holiday centre in the UK.
Since we are aware that transgender women also need a safe space, we are committed to making links with organisations providing such a safe space and providing information on such organisations for any self identifying women we cannot accommodate. We are also committed to subjecting this policy to regular review. You can contribute to the shaping of this policy by giving your views via management@hortonwhc.org.uk or info@hortonwhc.org.uk.
Although we cannot currently accommodate transgender women, we are committed to challenging any discriminatory remarks or behaviour on the basis of transgender status, and we stand in solidarity with all women, including transgender women, when they experience gender-based oppression.
DISABILITY
The W.H.C. recognise the discrimination that differently-abled women face on a daily basis. The W.H.C. will not discriminate against women with physical disabilities or with mental health issues. The W.H.C. is committed to making its services fully accessible. We will endeavour to do this by:
- Working towards making the building fully accessible.
- Actively challenging discriminatory remarks.
- Supporting events for differently-abled women.
CLASS
The W.H.C. has a commitment to challenge working class oppression, recognising that people from working class backgrounds are limited in terms of life chances, employment and service provision. We will endeavour to challenge this oppression by ensuring that:
- The W.H.C. and its services are accessible to working class women.
- The workers and management collective represent working class women and that it is not tokenistic.
SEX DISCRIMINATION
The W.H.C. recognise that women are discriminated against purely on grounds of gender and the W.H.C. is committed to countering discrimination against women in all its forms. We are committed to providing a safe women only space and to this end we will:
- Challenge sexism when encountered whilst working with other trades.
- Publicise women centred events and information.
- Promote positive images of women.
NON-VIOLENCE
Violence or threatening behaviour towards women or children will not be tolerated. Anyone behaving in a violent or aggressive manner will be asked to leave the centre. The W.H.C. consider the following activities to be dangerous and harmful to women:
- The use of hard drugs
- Militarism
- Prostitution
Women promoting any of these activities will be asked to leave the centre. This does not apply to self-help groups or prostitutes.
DRESS
No woman should be made to feel unwelcome or discriminated against because of what she is wearing. However, if a woman’s clothes or behaviour oppresses or confronts other women, she may be challenged and asked to leave.
AGE
The W.H.C. recognises that women of different ages have different needs and we are committed to sensitively addressing these issues. We are committed to countering discrimination on the basis of age in all aspects of our work. Recognising the fact that older and younger women face particular disadvantages in society we aim to cater for their needs.
PARENTAL STATUS AND AGE THAT BOYS CAN STAY
The W.H.C. will endeavour to take pregnancy and childcare responsibilities into account where possible, in its employment and services. To this end we will:
- Provide a safe space for children.
- Allow boys at any time up to their 11th birthday
- Older boys, up to their 15th birthday, can stay a maximum of four weeks a year at the workers’ discretion.
- Closed groups can bring older boys at the workers’ discretion.
RELIGION
The W.H.C. will not discriminate against any woman on the basis of their religious beliefs and will endeavour to provide a service, which is sensitive to those beliefs and practices. However, where cultural practices or religious beliefs conflict with the W.H.C. Equal Opportunities Policy , the policy will prevail.
HIV STATUS
The W.H.C. is committed to actively challenge prejudice about HIV infection. The W.H.C. will not discriminate in terms of service provision or employment on the grounds of HIV status and will not require that staff or visitors disclose their HIV status.
PARTY/NOISE POLICY
No sound systems / DJs. The time limit for loud music is 1.30a.m. Outside it is 12am. The women who organise/invite are responsible for their guests. When the driveway is full cars must be parked on the public car park.
MEAT FREE POLICY
The garden and house are both meat free.
SMOKING POLICY
No smoking is allowed in the public space of the house at any time. A smoking area is available at the side of the house.
DOGS POLICY
No dogs are allowed in the W.H.C. except for support dogs.
CHILD PROTECTION POLICY
It is the policy of the Women’s Holiday Centre (WHC) to safeguard the welfare of children by taking all reasonable steps to protect them from physical, sexual and emotional harm.
The W.H.C. child protection policy is available on request.
We have a designated person to assist workers in issues around Child Protection, who will be contacted by workers if a situation arises.
WITH REGARD TO THE ABOVE STATEMENTS
Oppressive remarks, behaviour, assumptions and myths based on these issues should be challenged at the time they are made, with the aim of increasing understanding and effecting a change in attitude. If remarks are persistent and/or deliberate, women making them will be asked to leave, forfeiting their holiday. The incident should then be brought to a collective meeting.
