HERA Programmes
Entrepreneurship and Business Summer Programme
Students attend a three week course in the summer. It provides a range of workshops teaching valuable skills and information. Through group work and self reflection students grow in confidence , and gain valuable skills to enable them to plan and make choices about their future.
Business Mentors
Mentoring programme
Each successful student who has undergone the summer programme is matched with a professional mentor, who provides career and business advice over a year to help the graduate implement her career and/or venture objectives and plans.
Monthly Meetup
Wednesday Wisdoms
HERA provides ongoing support to our students by hosting monthly career development and networking events online and at our corporate partners. The events feature a range of practitioners who come to freely share their expertise in an interactive series of workshops which take place the first Wednesday of every month.
Students Testimonials
"HERA gave me the power to start studying. It also made me feel more confident about things I can achieve"
"HERA is a remarkable charity for women, it is a shining beacon of empowerment. Through their skills training programs and…
HERA UK
"The 3 weeks Entrepreneurship course gave me hope & strength to still go after the things I wanted for myself"
Students Stories
Aspiring Tattoo Artist
Anna* is a survivor of repeated abuse and trafficking. In 2016 she came to HERA. Anna felt lost and didn’t believe in herself. She had dreams but believed that even if she had the potential to achieve them, her status in the UK would never be settled. Her caseworker knew about HERA and encouraged her to join our programme. “I don’t know what I will get out of it but what do I have to lose?” Anna thought, “Well, it turned out that 2016 was the best time of my life! That year, HERA gave me hope and built my dreams up. Today, I have done and learnt so many things that I have always wanted to do but never had the courage to.” One of Anna’s dreams is to become a tattoo artist and have her own parlour. In 2017, Anna started learning how to tattoo by practicing at home and researching other artists she admired. In 2018, Anna received her right to remain and work in the UK, and in 2020 she hopes she will become a successful business woman. “I believe HERA has done a lot for others and myself and I will always continue to support HERA because they have changed my life completely.”
Store Manager
Olivia* was a HERA student in 2008, having recently moved to the UK. Olivia wanted to gain confidence and to make friends. Through HERA workshops, Olivia gained knowledge and skills that gave her the confidence to begin pursuing her business goals. Olivia notes that “those were big things. I built a lot of rapport with people. It still plays a big part in my life. It gave me confidence and made me a better leader.” Olivia has been using her leadership skills as a store manager at one of the largest H&M locations in the world. She was able to work with a company that encourages entrepreneurship and creativity just as HERA does. Olivia is now using her experience and working her way towards bigger goals, “I am happy where I am but not satisfied. I would love to look for something bigger...The only way is up!” She has recently received job offers from Selfridges, Nike, and other major retailers outside the UK.