Our wonderful team at The Women’s Organisation is expanding! Meet our new Client & Relationships Engagement Adviser, Alison James – better known as AJ! Read more about what she got up to before joining us!
What’s your full name and where are you from?
My names AJ👋 and I’m a Yorkshire lass, originally from Bradford. I moved to Liverpool in 2009 to study and I stayed here because it’s such a fantastic city with so much culture and opportunity – plus the people are boss!
What do you do when you aren’t working?
I love nature and the outdoors and I enjoy visiting new places with friends and my other half in our Bongo Campervan. I’m a keen gardener – at one point I had 59 individual plants in pots in our Yarden (A little excessive, you might say…).
Music is a big part of my life and I like to play the piano, listen to and develop my vinyl collection and attend live music events. Looking after my mental health is super important too and I regularly practice Mindfulness, Yoga, Pilates as well as running. I’m also partial to a little down time on my Nintendo Switch (Zelda FTW).
I’m always looking for ways I can educate myself and improve my understanding of diverse communities and I try to champion equality for Women, LGBTQ + and marginalised groups and support where I can. I am interested in current affairs but I’m also mindful of giving myself a break from media and social media – It’s so important to switch off from it every now and then I think.
What might (someone) be surprised to know about you?
I used to sing quite a lot and I’ve been involved in a number of musical projects over the years, especially during my time at University. Liverpool is such a great city for musicians!
Tell me how you first found out about The Women’s Organisation and become part of our team?
I’ve worked in the Baltic Triangle (where the wo is based) for over 6 years and I’ve had the pleasure of working with then on a number of occasions in the past (big up Lucy Cashman and Jo Mountfort!) – namely on managing a community networking event which saw people from across the city connect. I always knew that I wanted to be in an organisation that really makes a difference to peoples lives and when I saw the job of Client Relationships and Engagement Adviser come up, I jumped at the chance.
What kind of things have you done prior to coming to The Women’s Organisation?
My background is in Arts and Culture to be honest, so the Women’s Organisation is a change for me – but a welcome change at that and I’m so excited to adapt into something new. In the past, I’ve worked for Liverpool Biennial, Open Culture and more latterly, Baltic Creative CIC. I love the people and the communities I’ve worked with and I’ve gained tonnes of experience – which has been super handy for me in my new role here at the WO.
What’s the best thing about working at The Women’s Organisation?
The people – Hands down – they’re such a laugh! I knew from the off that this workplace had such a supportive environment too. Everyone has been so warm and friendly in my first month at the organisation and they have been so helpful when I’ve asked questions (and I’ve asked a LOT of questions 😇).
Could you describe one of your typical workdays?
My typical working day starts with a caffeine fix! I particularly like visiting our onsite café Bisquite or one of the many cafés in area – the Baltic has an abundance of coffee shops. I then spend the day speaking to women from all backgrounds who contact us looking for support. I very much enjoy talking to people – hearing their ideas, listening to how they want to progress their business or career and helping them with their enquiries and requests. I’m really looking forward to getting out and about in the community and meeting new people and organisations as part of my role.
What has surprised you about working at The Women’s Organisation?
To be honest, I underestimated the number of projects that the WO are involved with. It’s so exciting to be a part of an organisations that’s network is so vast and who’s projects involve working with so many amazing local and national partners. They do excellent work supporting women and I’ve really enjoyed learning about the wo’s network, missions and values.
Want to work with us at The Women’s Organisation? We have several exciting new vacancies on our team. Apply here
Get in touch with us to find our more on hello@thewo.org.uk or call us on 0151 706 8111