The Joy of Collective

25/02/2026

Walk and Talk

Is back Sunday 22nd March at 10.30am
This is a time to connect with others, nature and yourself.

This is your excuse to get outside and get active if you are able to do so.

The meeting point is the Green shelter at the Westerfield Road entrance.

The Joy of Collective is a community for women based in Ipswich who wish to build their own village while they themselves become good villagers.

22/02/2026

This is Community
What a weekend. What a community.
In a world where everything we need is being demonised, removed, and sold back to us, true community feels rare.
I do not want this to be another group where people just turn up to meet ups don't talk again until the next meet up. I want this to be real real community where women come together be good villagers while building their own village.
Community is the foundation of everything and to be a good villager you have to put yourself out there and you have to contribute things are going to get inconvenient.

A massive THANK YOU to all that came yesterday and were part of a mini crew that helped another. Your kindness, compassion, and willingness to support another are truly beautiful. I love the slow development of The Joy of Collective and hope the coming year sees more women of differing ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities join and connect with each other.

13/02/2026

💕Happy Galantine's Day 💕

Today is Friday 13th a day that was originally marked as a day to celebrate women, fertility, and love. The demonisation, fear mongering, and the erasure of traditions, culture, and attitudes around women's power.

Galentines Day has fallen on a Friday, which makes it double special. No longer think of Friday as a day of bad luck but a day to celebrate femininity, love and fertility.

Go show the women in your life how special and loved they are.

08/02/2026

Art and Connect
What a gathering! It was so wholesome, heartfelt, and real. I always love the conversations that come out of the gatherings because they are deep, needed, and authentic. I'm not one chit-chat. I find it difficult to connect chit-chat to me. It is part of the code switching I do at times to get through certain situations. To sit and have conversations about culture, heritage, traditions, family dynamics, and the state of the planet and eat we can do what's within our power to do is beautiful to me.

The exhibition is vibrant and interesting. The different techniques used by the artists and reading through thought process of creating for this exhibition were inspiring. We all sat in the tearoom after and had a creative session inspired by what we felt and saw. I definitely want to incorporate somehow sketching into my day as the skills are there just laying dormant 🤭

The decision to collaborate with was an easy one as their values compliment the collectives. I believe collaborations are a great way to build up connections, create your own network, and support each other in these building stages and beyond.

Seeing and hearing the impact that we had with an intimate group on the mansion that day was the validation needed to know this is going in the right direction not just for The Joy of Collective but for the town too. Bringing people together to support local businesses and artists is important.

Thank you to all that came, and I look forward to the gathering with you all.

03/02/2026

Love is something that many claim to do, but many do not truly experience.
There are so many different types of love but society and the systems at play only platform one kind of love and that's romantic. When you strip that back it's not love its control.

Love is not control
Love is not abuse
Love is not coercion

We all would benefit from understanding Love in its many forms. A good place to start is a book by Bell Hooks called 'All about love'.

Some of the relationships that I have now are so full of love, empathy, compassion, and joy. This book is a beautiful thought-provoking read and I wish love was truly considered rather than the twisted Hollywood version that seems to dominate.

Where do you truly feel loved?

25/01/2026

✨️🖋📘Visionboard and Journaling📘🖋✨️

Last night, I held a visionboard and journaling workshop at my house (I don'tlike people in my house). It was a test run because I wanted to offer a workshop that has substance, gives value, and brings people together.
Last night definitely did that. There were so many detours due to meaningful conversations, linked to intentions, community, the state of the world, and what makes us who we are today. Every woman around that table was different but drawn together by community, wanting connection and the hope of something new.

The workshop may not have flowed exactly how I wanted, but the vibe, consideration, and community were on point.

is my baby, my defiance, my resistence, my attempt to make this corner of the world more connected, more compassionate, more empathetic, more creative. I want women to know they are not alone but in order to build a village you have to become a villager yourself!
My vision is coming together slowly, and last night at the end of the night, everyone was offering something so this could happen again, and that was a heartwarming moment.

Joy is rebellion
Love is an action
Rest is resistance

19/01/2026

In other words, do not obstruct, belittle, and make fun of those who are making a conscious effort to do better, be better, and understand more.
We all learn at different paces and are exposed to different cultures, countries, skills, knowledge, and teachings that may seem basic to some but are new to others.

Instead of shame, try leading with curiosity, compassion, and support. Become their personal cheerleader offering words of encouragement and snacks .
Our personal lived experiences are not everyone's lived experiences. What is normal to one is alien to another.
To be an adult and still have wonder, passion, and curiosity feels like a big deal. Whether you are learning to read, attempting to gain your GCSE's in adulthood, or learning all about why the world is on fire and what you can do about it:

✨️Give yourself grace

✨️Block out the naysayers

✨️Find people who truly want to see you win

✨️Enjoy the novelty of developing a new skill

✨️Fail often and more frequently

15/01/2026

This picture came up on my memories today. It's so interesting to see the space I carved out in the chaos and toxicity and the seeds of a mission I am working towards now.

At the point this image was taken, I had two children, one in college, the other a cheeky toddler I'd strap to my chest, and head all over the country, meeting inspirational women doing incredible things. I tried and failed many times over to build a business that would sustain the family. I learnt so much about myself and about connecting with others.

The biggest takeaway is that the environment you are in makes such a difference. A plant will still grow through concrete, with dwindling light and poor soil, but it will have to fight to get there. Put that plant in the right conditions, and it will flourish and thrive and be strongly rooted.
Think of yourself like the plant and look at the environment you are in, the people you are around, the stressors and drains in your life, and take action accordingly.

Resilience is a good trait to have, but so is softness and grace. Living in survival mode for too long is detrimental to our health, but sometimes we get too comfortable in the pain, and it becomes better the devil you know. Give yourself grace, be brave in small ways and build up your tolerance to the experiences and lifestyle you truly want to live.

14/01/2026

💖🙌🏾

09/01/2026

New year New job?
Passion for supporting women...

We are recruiting an Advice Worker to be based at our Women’s Centre in Ipswich.

Do you have a passion for supporting women affected by domestic abuse and good interpersonal skills to establish trust and rapport with clients to ensure that advice and interventions are centred around empowerment and safety, then this could be the post for you.

Please visit our website for more information and an application form. https://www.lighthousewa.org.uk/jobs

09/01/2026

🖼 Art & Connect 🖼

Take a trip with us to the Colour Shape Pattern exhibition at Christchurch Mansion. This is an opportunity to celebrate community and local artists ✨️

📍Christchurch Mansion, Soane St, Ipswich IP4 2BE
📆 Saturday 7th February
⏰️ 11am
💰 £5 standard and £4 concession

If you'd like to come along, please DM us so we can send you the link to book 💌

Suffolk Sister Solice is a non-profit social network for Black, Brown, and underrepresented women in Suffolk.

The Joy of Collective is a community for women starting learning to be good villagers so they themselves can create their own village.

06/01/2026

What a great way to make an impactful difference.

Did you know that Lighthouse offers a Membership Scheme?

By signing up to our Membership Scheme you can help make a real difference to the lives of women, young people and children, from across Suffolk, who have been or are affected by domestic abuse.

* 1 in 4 Women in England will suffer some form of Domestic Abuse in their lifetime

* 64% of children will be directly harmed in abusive environments

You can support Lighthouse by becoming a proud member from as little as £25 per year and help to change lives of the victims and survivors.

If you would like to know more about our Membership scheme and the work we carry out, please visit our website www.lighthousewa.org.uk or contact Deb Johnson via deb@lighthousewa.org.uk

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