How it began
The original group met in at the International Tots & Teas toddler group founded by Sophie Kollewijn-Hopkins in 2015 and still meeting weekly today. Through this group we heard reoccurring stories of isolation, career stagnation and general frustrations about not understanding how things worked. Many women also faced a change in their identity and needed help forming a new pathway. We believed that there is no point reinventing the wheel, so instead we looked for different ways to keep the wheel turning.
In March 2017, a group of 7 women launched Arnhem Together to a fantastic warm welcome. Since then it has been going from strength to strength as women for all backgrounds and ages join Arnhem Together to share their experiences. We wanted to create a space where women can connect and support one another – both socially and professional.
Whilst many of the original founding members have moved on, Sophie and Ghanaan Edwards remain at the helm of Arnhem Together and ensure that the original philosophy of supporting one another is upheld. They were overwhelmed with the support they received and the clear need for such an empathetic and empowering group. After seeing Arnhem Together not one survive, but thrive during the pandemic, Sophie and Ghanaan took their own advice and put out a call for help in 2022.
From this, many enthusiastic volunteers came forward and the sub-groups were formed allowing Arnhem Together to continue to flourish and shine.