Sahil is situated on the main Foleshill Road – a district’s shopping centre that offers wide range of retail outlets and other services including banking and fast food shops. We are open five days a week. On average we see over 800 women each year, resulting in over 2,500 contacts made to the project. Women who use our services come from the range of backgrounds.

Sahil is located in the centre of the Foleshill ward, which has been ranked 182nd out of 8414 districts in the Index of Multiple Deprivation. The population of the neighbourhood is enormously varied in terms of ethnic origin, according to the 2001 census.

Our service employs 8 paid staff (3 full-time and 7 part-time) and uses 24 active Volunteers. Many of the women who volunteer are ex-service users. By volunteering, they learn new skills, build their self-esteem and gain confidence to move into employment.

The Board Directors of Sahil are all women from various backgrounds. Their experience, skills and knowledge include: Education, Social Care, Health, Family law, Community Development, Financial Management, Recruitment selection, Staff management, Monitoring and Evaluation and Policy Development. All the Board of Directors have a commitment and knowledge of working with women who face difficulties.  They are sensitive to the issues and the barriers faced by the client group and have been able to advice and support staff and volunteers throughout their work.

Sahil Provides a first point of contact for women, offering information, support and guidance on whatever query they may have. We can then enable the women to contact other relevant services to meet their needs – we signpost women.

All our services are delivered in a professional and culturally sensitive manner, and great emphasis is out onto the fact that our services are confidential and offered in a safe and comfortable environment.
We put emphasis on:

Providing a befriending service for Asian women with mental health problems
Providing impartial and non-judgemental advice and guidance
Therapeutic Counselling
Accompany women to appropriate helping agencies
Providing a drop-in service
Running  Support Groups & Self Help Activities Groups
Providing outreach and home visiting service to women who cannot attend sessions at the Project
Monthly  free Legal Advice
Outreach work in Nuneaton
Train and recruit Volunteers

Over the week, we run a number of services which include: signposting, drop-in sessions, welfare advice, employment advice, befriending, counselling, speaking on behalf, support groups, and self-help support groups. We organise the events, such as Women’s International Week, Open Days, Health and Social Events, trips, and confidence building training sessions. We also offer number of other activities to alleviate stress, i.e. yoga sessions and complimentary therapies.

Sahil's Success
Sahil to date has not really blown its own trumpet, but some incredible successes have come our way recently, thanks to our strong foundation and commitment to service users.

2009 - Awarded the most Prestigious Award - Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service

2008 - Nominated for the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service

2008 - Sahil featured in Asian Women Magazine sold worldwide

2007 - Sahil featured on Radio 5 Community Radio for one month— twice a week on programmes on health
topics affecting women and covering Sahil’s work

2007 - Invited by the European Union to present our work at the Women & Youth Conference in Leipzig in
Germany (as one of only two groups from UK)

2007 - A workshop participation in Honour Crime & Forced Marriage Conference in Warwickshire

2006 - Sahil's Accredited Certificate Awards Ceremony televised on Midlands BBC News

2006 - Nominated for Project of the Year Award by Pride of Coventry & Warwickshire Community Awards

2004 - Mamta Project (child & maternal health) become main stream project supported by Sahil Project &
Foleshill Women Centre)