CoLab

✨What a night ✨

Last night we celebrated a decade of CoLab with an evening of reflection, conversation and community.

Over cake (made by our own Mahsin!) and mocktails, through workshops and speeches from our CEO Fiona Carden, Deputy CEO Jon Cook and Dr Sam Cole, we spent time looking back at the journey we've taken together and looking ahead to the future.

Our theme for our celebrations this month is hope.
Hope for individuals.
Hope for communities.
Hope for systems that work better together.
Hope that things will get better.
Hope for the future.

Thank you to everyone who joined us to mark 10 years of CoLab.

Here's to continuing to build a future rooted in collaboration, compassion and community ✨

🏳️‍🌈 Pride flags represent identity, community and visibility 🏳️‍🌈

You may recognise some Pride flags, but not always know what they represent.

Pride flags serve as visual symbols representing different sexual orientations, gender identities, and subcultures within the LGBTQ+ community, making marginalized groups visible in society and signalling safe spaces for individuals seeking connection or support.

Each Pride Flag tells a story, offering a visible symbol of identity, struggle, joy, and community.

Swipe through to find out more about just a few of the flags, learning more about them is one small way to better understand the diversity within the LGBTQ+ community. 🏳️‍🌈

☕✨ This week, as part of our 10th anniversary celebrations, we opened up a space for people to drop in, enjoy a coffee and pastry, and share their experiences of CoLab over the last decade.

The conversations reminded us that while buildings, projects and partnerships are important, it is people who truly shape CoLab.

Here are just a few of the comments our visitors shared ☀️

Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences, reflections and hopes for the future. Your voices are an important part of our story, and of the next chapter too. ✨

We’re pleased to share that Colab Women is continuing its work as part of the new Devon Sexual Violence Partnership. ✨

This partnership reflects and strengthens work that has already been developed at Colab over recent years to improve access to specialist sexual violence support for women facing multiple barriers to engagement.

Through trauma-informed practice, relational advocacy, and flexible pathways of support, we have worked to create psychologically safe responses for women who may find it hardest to access traditional services — particularly where experiences of complex trauma, multiple disadvantage, or system involvement can make engagement difficult.

As part of the Devon Sexual Violence Partnership, we are building on that foundation rather than starting from scratch. This creates an opportunity to continue and enhance the work already established, while exploring new ways of extending specialist support so that more women can access it in ways that feel safe, responsive, and sustainable.

Our approach remains rooted in the understanding that healing does not happen through rigid pathways. It happens through trust, consistency, and support that meets women where they are, while remaining true to the principles of specialist sexual violence provision.

Our lead worker Tasch said ‘We’re proud to be working alongside partners across Devon to strengthen pathways, build on what has already been created, and help ensure women can access the support they need when they need it most.’

For more information please see https://devonrapecrisis.org.uk/the-devon-sexual-violence-support-partnership/

💙 Men’s Health Week 💙
Sometimes the strongest thing someone can do is say:
“I’m not doing great.”

Conversations around men’s health are often shaped by stigma, pressure and expectations to always cope alone. But nobody is meant to carry everything by themselves.

This week is about encouraging open conversations around physical and mental health, and reminding people that asking for help is not something to be embarrassed about.

Checking in with yourself, talking to someone you trust, resting when you need to, booking that appointment you’ve been putting off; these things matter.
Looking after yourself is important, and you deserve support too.

CoLab run a Men’s group every Tuesday 2pm-4pm with the Urban Learning Academy

✨Come and celebrate 10 years of CoLab Women with us. ✨

Over the last decade, we've had the privilege of meeting hundreds of women, staff, volunteers, partners, and supporters. We've listened to stories, learned from lived experience, shared difficult moments, celebrated successes, and laughed a lot along the way.

CoLab Women has never felt like just a service or a workplace. It has always been about people. The relationships we've built, the things we've learned from one another, and the moments we've shared have shaped who we are today.
So we'd love to bring people together to celebrate.

Whether you've been a client, volunteer, staff member, partner, supporter, or simply someone who has crossed paths with CoLab Women over the years, you're warmly invited.

There'll be homemade pizza, mocktails, music, and some simple craft activities. Most importantly, it will be a chance to catch up and spend time with others who have been part of the CoLab Women story.

And if you can't make it, we'd still like to say thank you. Thank you for being part of the last 10 years. CoLab Women wouldn't be what it is without the people who have walked through our doors and shared a little piece of themselves with us. 💛

Reserve your space on Eventbrite!: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/colab-women-10-year-celebration-tickets-1990865321770?aff=oddtdtcreator

🏳️‍🌈 Pride & Mental Health 🏳️‍🌈

Feeling safe to be yourself can have a huge impact on mental health and wellbeing.
For many LGBTQ+ people, experiences like discrimination, rejection, isolation or feeling unable to fully be themselves can affect confidence, wellbeing and sense of belonging.
At the same time, kindness, acceptance and supportive communities can make a real difference.

Pride Month can be joyful and celebratory, but it can also be reflective. It’s a reminder of how important it is to look after one another, create safe spaces, and approach people with compassion rather than judgement.

Sometimes support looks like checking in on someone, listening, respecting people’s identities, or simply helping others feel welcome and included.

And that kindness matters for ourselves too.
Rest, self-care and giving ourselves permission to be who we are without shame are important parts of wellbeing.

Everyone deserves to feel safe, supported and able to show up as themselves. 🏳️‍🌈💚