Our VISION
We believe that every woman deserves the opportunity to achieve financial independence and self-sufficiency. We are passionate about making a positive impact in the lives of all women and are committed to creating lasting change.
Our GOAL
We aim to empower women by providing them with the tools and resources they need to succeed in the workforce. Through our research efforts, we aim to establish best practices that can be scaled up to support even more women in need.
Current PROJECTS
We are currently seeking funding for two specific projects, one of which is to support disadvantaged mothers in the London Borough of Newham to be trained and work in schools. The other is the Diverse Childminders Project which aims to build disadvantaged women’s confidence surrounding self-employment and childminding to create communities of diverse childminders available for childcare.
Both projects aim to address inequality and disadvantage in various ways, including helping to address child poverty by supporting disadvantaged mothers to move into work.
Our PEOPLE and our EXPERIENCE
Our experienced, knowledgeable, and diverse team, is dedicated to creating innovative ways to engage with women seeking to return to work while providing them with necessary support and to conduct research to gather evidence on ‘what works’.
Liz Sewell | Director
Liz is a passionate campaigner for women’s rights and developed the Get Ready for Work programme to support mothers who are further from the labour market to return to work. Her team won the 2022 Mayor of London’s Adult Learning Award for Outreach and Engagement, and the GRoW App was recognized for its innovation. Liz previously served as the CEO of Gingerbread, a single-parent charity where she advised on the New Deal for Lone Parents. She is also a member of the Skills for Londoners Board, The ERSA Board, a Fellow of the Institute of Employability Professionals and recently provided evidence to the Work and Pensions Select Committee. Additionally, in 2022, she was awarded the Outstanding Contributor to the Employability Sector Award from ERSA.
Laura Dewar | Head of Research
Laura is a skilled and respected policy and research lead with 15 years of experience in the charity sector. will be leading on research at Belina GRoW CIC. She specialises in welfare reform, skills, and childcare, and is a trusted policy influencer who has worked with parliamentarians, including the Welfare Minister and cross-party peers. Laura has led seven research projects at Gingerbread and partnered with several organisations. She has given oral evidence to several committees in the House of Commons and the House of Lords and has presented at All Party Parliamentary Groups. Laura prides herself on involving beneficiaries in research and has worked with the TUC and a major children’s charity. She has also lectured at several universities and mentored disadvantaged students.
Saeema Yusuf | Head of Engagement
Saeema joined Belina Consulting Ltd after a career break and will lead engagement efforts by building on her experience as a frontline adviser. She is skilled at inspiring clients to achieve and forging new partnerships. In 2022, she was recognised as the ERSA Frontline Adviser of the Year for her achievements in motivating and engaging clients to overcome multiple barriers to work. Saeema is dedicated to creating better experiences and outcomes for clients, partners, and funding bodies by focusing on individual needs and fostering confidence and skill development.
Mercedes Grant | Head of Training
Mercedes has a decade of experience delivering employability programmes to women, aiding them in boosting their confidence and finding employment. She played a key role in the creation and implementation of programmes such as Grow Your Own Business, which addresses self-employment fears. In addition to her employability consulting work, she operates her own massage business, providing services to both private clients and corporate entities as part of their wellness contracts. Mercedes is driven by a desire to inspire and motivate individuals, including through homeschooling her son.
Non-Executive Directors
Karen Talbot
Karen is a retired Civil Servant with experience in developing programmes.
Gosia Banach
Gosia is Employability Lead for a project with Child Poverty Action Group
Get INVOLVED
We invite companies to join us in building a more inclusive and equitable society. You can support our efforts by funding us or becoming a partner. Let’s work together to create positive change for all women.
Belina GRoW CIC 