Keeping Faith in Healthcare with Neelam Heera-Shergill

Keeping Faith in Kindness with Suryagupta Dharmacharini (London Buddhist Centre)

How can we respond to suffering without being overwhelmed by it? Can kindness be a catalyst for change? And how do we keep faith in kindness in today’s world, which all too often feels far from kind? In this episode, we hear from Suryagupta Dharmacharini – chair of the London Buddhist Centre [https://www.londonbuddhistcentre.com/] – who shares her journey to Buddhism and to leadership, and how she has kept faith in herself and her community along the way.  We reflect on the role of kindness in a world grappling with armed conflict, far right rhetoric and divided communities. Suryagupta argues that kind does not mean weak, but offers us a way to see the world differently as well as a vital reminder of our interdependence.  Find out more about the work of the London Buddhist Centre here [https://www.londonbuddhistcentre.com/about-us/about-the-lbc].  Read more about WIN’s book ‘Keeping Faith: 20 Years of Women’s Interfaith Network’ here.  [https://www.wominet.org.uk/projects/book-launch-keeping-faith-20-years-of-win/] Keeping Faith: A How-To Guide was created as part of Women’s Interfaith Network's [https://www.wominet.org.uk/]2024-2025 Keeping Faith Programme. Read more about the programme here [https://www.wominet.org.uk/projects/wins-20th-anniversary-keeping-faith-programme/] and be the first to hear about upcoming events and ways to get involved by signing up to our newsletter. [https://wominet.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=d30eb7e8c37e60a27e3ef6221&id=bf5849a425] Views expressed on this podcast are the speaker’s own and may not reflect the views of Women’s Interfaith Network.  Hosted by Maeve Carlin Produced by Maeve Carlin and Adam Brichto Edited by Adam Brichto Executive Produced by Lady Gilda Levy Theme music composed by Jamie Payne Logo and Artwork designed by Jasey Finesilver Support from Tara Corry

Keeping Faith in Healthcare with Neelam Heera-Shergill

Content Warning – This episode includes personal stories of miscarriage, birth trauma and health inequalities. Please listen with care and access support if you need it via the links below.  What does it look like to keep faith in healthcare while still challenging systemic inequalities? Can we channel our anger into our activism without letting it consume us? And how are women building their own safe spaces to share their struggles with menstrual and maternal health? In this episode, we spoke to Neelam Heera-Shergill, Founder and CEO of Cysters UK [https://www.cysters.org/]: a community-led charity tackling inequalities in menstrual, maternal and mental healthcare through education and advocacy. Neelam reflects on how her own search for support in her struggles with chronic illness and birth trauma has led her to build safe spaces for others on similar journeys, from Cysters’ origin story to the Summer 2025 launch of the Maternity Justice Network.  Find out more [https://www.cysters.org/what-we-do] about the work of Cysters UK.  Watch [https://www.instagram.com/reels/DJozoOFsnXk/] highlights from the launch event of Maternity Justice Network.  Follow Neelam on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/neelamheerashergill/] and LinkedIn [https://uk.linkedin.com/in/neelamheerashergill].  If you are affected by the issues discussed in this episode, support is available: * Miscarriage Association [https://www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19732812870&gbraid=0AAAAADpiWuUfU0-MyPJUH235xP4Wj6I-9&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7IjOBhDyARIsAFzrWQyYIPLs-FqPCq4gC0nyhnvhm5K_esIvImVYEiIk6dMJ0PQ0GiT3ZNoaAmXzEALw_wcB] * Tommy's  [https://www.tommys.org/] * Maternal Mental Health Alliance [https://maternalmentalhealthalliance.org/about-maternal-mental-health/support-mums-and-families/] * PANDAS [https://pandasfoundation.org.uk/] Keeping Faith: A How-To Guide was created as part of Women’s Interfaith Network's [https://www.wominet.org.uk/]2024-2025 Keeping Faith Programme. Read more about the programme here [https://www.wominet.org.uk/projects/wins-20th-anniversary-keeping-faith-programme/] and be the first to hear about upcoming events and ways to get involved by signing up to our newsletter. [https://wominet.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=d30eb7e8c37e60a27e3ef6221&id=bf5849a425] Views expressed on this podcast are the speaker’s own and may not reflect the views of Women’s Interfaith Network.  Hosted by Maeve Carlin Produced by Maeve Carlin and Adam Brichto Edited by Adam Brichto Executive Produced by Lady Gilda Levy Theme music composed by Jamie Payne Logo and Artwork designed by Jasey Finesilver Support from Tara Corry

Keeping Faith: A New Book From Women's Interfaith Network

Can harnessing our creativity become its own act of resistance? What does it mean to keep faith in justice in unjust times? And can one person really make a meaningful difference? This week, WIN is launching our new book of women’s writing, ‘Keeping Faith: 20 Years of Women's Interfaith Network’, a collection of essays reflecting on how we keep faith in what matters to us in a world where faith feels hard to find. Our authors include faith leaders, artists, activists, leaders from across the voluntary and community sector, members of our WIN community, and voices of all faiths and no faith. This book celebrates 20 years of Women's Interfaith Network [https://www.wominet.org.uk/about-us/]at a time where interfaith work feels more vital than ever before. In this episode, you’ll hear extracts and short interviews from four of our authors – zine artist Ioana Simion (Artizine UK [https://www.instagram.com/artizineuk/?hl=en]), Rabbi Daisy Bogod, Reverend Helen Burnett, and Josephine Namusisi Riley from Citizens UK's Parent Action [https://www.parentaction.org.uk/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19548480473&gbraid=0AAAAADMeiqUGHQ9q-fc_HIhPHw4TsufaT&gclid=CjwKCAjwpOfHBhAxEiwAm1SwEgcHjOSG2zALvySxaM5djtzxMnXTPMCKtrsu2d4iJo7jB_zU22DO0xoCpwQQAvD_BwE] - who share their insights on Keeping Faith in Justice, Keeping Faith in Creativity, Keeping Faith in Activism and Keeping Faith in Community. * Find out more about Keeping Faith: 20 Years of Women's Interfaith Network [https://www.wominet.org.uk/projects/book-launch-keeping-faith-20-years-of-win/] * Get your own copy by emailing info@wominet.org.uk Keeping Faith: A How-To Guide was created as part of Women’s Interfaith Network's [https://www.wominet.org.uk/]2024-2025 Keeping Faith Programme. Read more about the programme here [https://www.wominet.org.uk/projects/wins-20th-anniversary-keeping-faith-programme/] and be the first to hear about upcoming events and ways to get involved by signing up to our newsletter. [https://wominet.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=d30eb7e8c37e60a27e3ef6221&id=bf5849a425] Views expressed on this podcast are the speaker’s own and may not reflect the views of Women’s Interfaith Network.  Hosted by Maeve Carlin Produced by Maeve Carlin and Adam Brichto Edited by Adam Brichto Executive Produced by Lady Gilda Levy Theme music composed by Jamie Payne Logo and Artwork designed by Jasey Finesilver Support from Tara Corry

Keeping Faith on the Frontline with Mariia Korolchuk

Content Warning – This episode references Gender-Based Violence, including sexual abuse, as well as mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and disordered eating. Please listen with care. How has the war in Ukraine created a ‘gender crisis’ for Ukranian communities, both at home and those displaced around the world? What does it mean to keep faith in humanitarianism when a new political administration can transform the sector overnight? And what lessons can we learn about hope and resilience from the stories of women on the frontlines of the humanitarian response? In this episode, we spoke to Mariia Korolchuk, who transitioned into the humanitarian sector after she was displaced to Romania from her home in Ukraine in 2022. Mariia, who now works as Vice President of the Malva Association [https://www.facebook.com/malvabucharest/] – a hub for the Ukranian community in Bucharest – has worked for multiple NGOS over the last 3 years, with a particular focus on tackling gender-based violence and empowering women and girls. This is a raw, moving discussion of the realities of long-term conflict and displacement, as well as how women working on the frontlines of these crises continue to keep faith together. * Cook Mariia's recipe [https://hias.org/news/learn-make-dranyki-mariia-korolchuk-2/] for dranyki * Find out more [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-aaw6ZITBQ] about how Mariia and her humanitarian colleagues are helping displaced Ukranian women access reproductive healthcare * Read more about WIN's Food and Friendship [https://www.wominet.org.uk/projects/food-and-friendship-interfaith-shared-meal-project/] project Keeping Faith: A How-To Guide was created as part of Women’s Interfaith Network's [https://www.wominet.org.uk/]2024-2025 Keeping Faith Programme. Read more about the programme here [https://www.wominet.org.uk/projects/wins-20th-anniversary-keeping-faith-programme/] and be the first to hear about upcoming events and ways to get involved by signing up to our newsletter. [https://wominet.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=d30eb7e8c37e60a27e3ef6221&id=bf5849a425] Views expressed on this podcast are the speaker’s own and may not reflect the views of Women’s Interfaith Network.  Hosted by Maeve Carlin Produced by Maeve Carlin and Adam Brichto Edited by Adam Brichto Executive Produced by Lady Gilda Levy Theme music composed by Jamie Payne Logo and Artwork designed by Jasey Finesilver Support from Tara Corry

Keeping Faith in Creativity with Ada Jusic

How can art help us tell important stories that all too often go unheard? What would it look like to truly value and prioritise creativity in our communities? And how do we keep faith in welcome for migrants and refugees, against the backdrop of hostile and divisive rhetoric? In this episode, we spoke to multi-disciplinary artist Ada Jusic, the illustrator behind the graphic novel The Power of Welcome [https://www.adajusic.com/pow]: bringing to life her own journey from Bosnia to the UK as a young child alongside the stories of her co-authors from Somalia, Afghanistan, Syria and Ukraine. We discuss the importance of age-appropriate conversations about migration with children and young people in a world of widespread misinformation, as well as how she brings her life-long passion for artistic self-expression into the community. * Follow Ada on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/adajusic] or X [https://x.com/adajusic] * Find out more about Ada's work on her website [https://www.adajusic.com/] * Read Ada's article for Barbed Wire Fever: To Be Heard is To Be Loved [https://www.barbedwirefever.com/post/655971740883861504/to-be-heard-is-to-be-loved] Keeping Faith: A How-To Guide was created as part of Women’s Interfaith Network's [https://www.wominet.org.uk/]2024-2025 Keeping Faith Programme. Read more about the programme here [https://www.wominet.org.uk/projects/wins-20th-anniversary-keeping-faith-programme/] and be the first to hear about upcoming events and ways to get involved by signing up to our newsletter. [https://wominet.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=d30eb7e8c37e60a27e3ef6221&id=bf5849a425] Views expressed on this podcast are the speaker’s own and may not reflect the views of Women’s Interfaith Network.  Hosted by Maeve Carlin Produced by Maeve Carlin and Adam Brichto Edited by Adam Brichto Executive Produced by Lady Gilda Levy Theme music composed by Jamie Payne Logo and Artwork designed by Jasey Finesilver Support from Tara Corry