A Message from Our Founder

Dear Friends, Supporters, and Community,

Two years ago, I founded Ignite Your Power CIC with a single, driving belief: every woman and girl deserves to feel safe, confident, and empowered  and those skills should never be hidden behind a paywall or delivered in a way that doesn't reflect her reality.

I had spent years in security, martial arts, and coaching, and I kept seeing the same frustration play out: women attending self-defence sessions led by men, learning techniques designed for different bodies and different threats, and leaving feeling more anxious than when they arrived. I knew there was a better way,  and I knew it had to come from women who truly understand what it means to navigate the world as a woman.

So we built it. For Women, By Women.

These first two years have been extraordinary. We have reached 2,697 people across the UK  in community centres, schools, colleges, and online. We have delivered 74 in-person workshops, secured 9 grant-funded projects, and built an online safety community of nearly 1,000 women who support and look out for one another every day.

This year, we reached two milestones I am especially proud of. We launched JustStaySafer:  our Women's Personal Safety Initiative, bringing practical, real-world safety knowledge to women across the country. And we launched our Women's Only Self-Defence Instructor Course, giving other women the training and credentials to teach these vital skills in their own communities. These two developments feel like the natural next chapter: moving from delivering impact ourselves, to multiplying it.

None of this would have been possible without the generosity of our funders including;  the National Lottery Community Fund, Sports England, UnLtd, SNG and others, as well as the dedication of our community partners who opened their doors, championed our programmes, and trusted us with their people.

Most of all, none of it would mean anything without the women and girls who walked through the door, took a breath, and chose to invest in themselves. You are the reason we do this. Every session, every workshop, every story shared in our community  you are what this impact report is really about.

Here is to everything we have built together — and everything still to come.

With warmth and gratitude,

Charlotte

Founder & Director, Ignite Your Power CIC