bemoredandelion

12/02/2026

Can we talk about something important for a minute?

1 in 4 women will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime.

That means statistically… you are very close to someone who needs support. Even if you don’t know it.

It could be:
Your colleague.
Your gym buddy.
Your sister-in-law.
The mum at school pick up.
The woman who always says she’s “fine”.

We’re covering Colchester in simple posters on the back of ladies’ toilet doors.

Why there?

Because that’s often the only private pause in someone’s day.
The only moment they’re alone.
The only place they can read something without being watched.

And sometimes, that’s all it takes.
One sentence.
One “this isn’t just you”.
One sign that support exists.

So this isn’t just for business owners.

If you:
• Work in an office
• Go to a gym
• Have a friend who owns a salon
• Know someone with a workspace
• Sit on a church or community board

Take a poster.

Ask if it can go up.

Be the reason someone sees it at the exact moment they need it.

DM me “POSTER” and I’ll send you one to place where it matters.

Let’s make it very hard for a woman in this city to feel invisible.

12/02/2026

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has shopped in support of Be More Dandelion Essex CIC via this month!

Just by taking an extra step when you shop online and collecting a free donation for us, we've raised over £139.66 in just 30 days, adding to our total since December of £267.86.
Every penny goes towards running our programmes, classes, taster sessions and community support initiatives in Essex and Suffolk.

Not one of our supporters yet?
Please join today at:

https://join.easyfundraising.org.uk/be-more-dandelion-essex-cic/ijnawa/c2s/xKh3t89y/PMC14/facebook/139.66

06/02/2026

Earlier this week on our stories, we shared something we don’t usually put on the grid.

Our funding reality.

Out of 27 funding applications:
• 1 has been awarded 🎉
• 8 are still waiting on decisions
• 5 were unsuccessful
• 2 are in progress
• 2 we chose to walk away from because they weren’t the right fit for us

This is what building community work actually looks like behind the scenes.
Lots of hope. Lots of paperwork. Lots of resilience.

So here’s the exciting bit ⬇️
These are some of the things we’re actively seeking funding for right now:

🌼 Be More Dandelion merchandise
So our message can travel further and help fund the work sustainably.

🌼 Mama & Me movement classes
Because having children shouldn’t be a barrier to accessing support.

🌼 An online programme
For people who can’t attend in person but still want gentle, trauma-aware tools.

🌼 Training and supporting new facilitators
So this work can be delivered safely, consistently, and with care.

🌼 Expanding Survivor Steps into other parts of Essex & Suffolk
Reaching more people who need these spaces, closer to home.

And we’re curious…

💭 What would you love to see us grow next?
💭 What feels most needed in your community right now?

Drop a comment, send us a message, or simply save this post to come back to later.
Your voices genuinely shape where we put our energy next.

Thank you for being part of this with us

03/02/2026

Fill your own cup.
No, seriously.

Not because it’s “trendy”, but because you are so DONE being tired of running on empty.

So many of us are brilliant at noticing what everyone else needs and barely register our own.

Let this be your gentle nudge this week.
Here are 6 of our favourite (and simple) ways to reset and recharge.

No fixes. No pressure. Just small choices that really have an impact.

Which one are you trying this week? Let us know in the comments ⬇️

Got one to add? Share it below to help others who see this post 💜

03/02/2026

Did you know, you can help Be More Dandelion Essex CIC WIN a £500 donation!

Be More Dandelion Essex CIC will get a FREE entry each time a new supporter signs up before the 9th February!

It only takes a moment and it's completely free, so please get involved if you haven't already and share the love:

https://join.easyfundraising.org.uk/be-more-dandelion-essex-cic/ijnawa/s2s/J1YccjD6/PMC01/facebook/

02/02/2026

Some affirmations aren’t about “thinking positive.”
They’re about undoing the lies that survival taught you.

You didn’t fail.
You didn’t imagine it.
You didn’t deserve it.
And you’re not behind.

Save this for the days doubt gets loud.
Share it with the woman who’s carrying more than she lets on.
And if today all you did was get through, that counts. 💜

—
Be More Dandelion 🌼
For women finding their way back to themselves, in their own time.

01/02/2026

I never underestimate how much strength it takes to be the one to walk through those doors for the first time (often, second and third times too).

Not knowing anyone, feeling totally out of your comfort zone, going into something with trust that you’ll make it through the session, let alone what the rest of day might have in store.

So when this feedback comes through (as cringe as it might feel to post about it!) it’s one of those rare occasions I’m left speechless 🥹

THIS is why I do what I do.
THIS is why I facilitate others to be able to lead these sessions.
THIS is why Be More Dandelion exists.

It may only be an hour a week, but for so many it’s a lifeline. One I wish so many more knew existed for them.

If you’ve been thinking about joining us, let this be your sign; and hopefully gentle encouragement that waiting on the other side of the doors is a community waiting to welcome you 💜

If you see this post and know someone who needs that extra reassurance to take their first steps - send them this. We all know someone we want to help right now. ❤️

27/01/2026

Thank you Anglian Community Trust for your support. 🫶 We were thrilled to be selected as a recipient for this funding that supported women in Colchester, partnering with MidMid and North East Essex Mind deliver monthly Mindful Movement sessions.

If you’re interested to find out more about our sessions and where we’re delivering in DM “MOVE”!

We're delighted our ACTNOW programme was showcased in the Colchester Gazette recently - about us awarding over £58,000 to 22 community projects in North East Essex.

Each of these projects is helping to improve the lives of a wide range of people from different backgrounds in the area.

https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/25768695.colchester-tendring-projects-receive-grant-funding/

25/01/2026

Does Sunday evening feel less like rest and more like bracing yourself for the week ahead?

This class is for the women who are
overworked,
overstimulated,
and already carrying the weight of what another week will bring

Move Through This is your midweek pause.

Gentle movement to help your nervous system settle and your body reset.

✨ Tuesday 12:30-13:30 | Colchester
✨ For women who are tired of holding it together
✨ Come as you are. Leave a little lighter.

Book now to save your spot. DM “MOVE”

23/01/2026

“I don’t have any confidence to go to your classes”

We hear it every day.

Our response?

❣️Confidence doesn’t start in your head.
It starts in your body. ❣️

Before you can believe anything about yourself, your nervous system needs to feel safe enough to show up.

That’s why we dance.
That’s why we move together.
That’s why these spaces matter.

Research backs what many women already feel:

✨ Movement supports mood, anxiety, and self-esteem

✨ Women-led spaces increase safety, participation, and ease being seen

✨ Confidence grows after regulation — not before it

You don’t need confidence to come.
You don’t need rhythm, fitness, or the “right” clothes.
You don’t need to explain yourself.

Come as you are.
Move together.
Let confidence follow.

💗 Women-only, supportive dance spaces
📍 Colchester
🤍 Community-funded & beginner-friendly

Save this for the day you need a reminder — or share it with someone who’s been saying “maybe one day”.

19/01/2026

🌟 500 Club January Winner Spotlight! 🌟

This month, we’re celebrating The Dandelion Project – an incredible initiative helping survivors of domestic abuse heal through the power of dance. 💃✨ Founded by Fi Bool, a survivor herself, the project offers trauma-informed programs like Survivor Steps, a six-week dance journey focused on rebuilding confidence, resilience, and self-worth.

Their motto? – a reminder that strength and beauty can grow even in the toughest conditions. 🌼💛

Thanks to the £500 award, they’ll be working with a local web developer to improve their SEO—but what does that mean?

Imagine the internet is a huge library 📚, and Google is the librarian. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) helps The Dandelion Project’s website become easier to find, like putting their book on the front shelf instead of hidden in the back! 🏆 This means more survivors can discover their life-changing programs and get the support they need.

Join us in celebrating The Dandelion Project and their amazing work! 🎉

👉 Learn more: thedandelionproject.co.uk