We're still collecting donations
On the 3rd October 2022 we'd raised £11,395 with 33 supporters in 28 days. But as every pound matters, we're continuing to collect donations from supporters.
B3 Women’s Home (B3) is aimed at building places and spaces where vulnerable women can go to recuperate and take back control of their lives
by Natalie Brown in Rugby, Warwickshire, United Kingdom
On the 3rd October 2022 we'd raised £11,395 with 33 supporters in 28 days. But as every pound matters, we're continuing to collect donations from supporters.
My goal is to build women’s homes that cater for the needs of women experiencing a variety of challenges including domestic violence, mental health issues, drug and alcohol misuse or homelessness. As a previous domestic violence sufferer and someone who has overcome a nervous breakdown and anxiety, my heart craves to create a space where women can go to feel supported, encouraged and empowered.
I believe these women deserve to live in a home free of fear, worry, anguish and heartache and to reside in a place where their heart sings and their hope is restored.
So our first home, B3 Rugby, is the beginning of our journey of creating places and spaces around the world that will help women to live bold, brave and beautiful lives.
Our vision is to provide a home that is an oasis of tranquility. We want to be able to provide the essential comfort these women deserve and also create an environment in which they will thrive and feel inspired to drive their journey into a new phase.
Far beyond the building, our vision extends to everything that makes a home. Helping to create pathways to a fulfilling life, through the provision of emotional support, practical help and a caring and nurturing environment.
B3 Rugby will be fully furnished and equipped with the essentials a woman needs to make it a home, and the facilities will be designed and built to foster a culture of community, sisterhood and support.
We will have partnerships and programs in place to offer workshops and support including personal development, wellbeing, life skills, preparing for further work and education, 1:1 support from counsellors and coaches. It will be a place where women will live, learn and grow.
By sharing my story and my heart’s desire I hope I can inspire you to do whatever you can for these women. They need your help and support.
We would like to invite you to be part of the solution.
We are determined to be, and build, the foundation for the dreams of other women to come true. Will you join me?
Let’s start building today!
Natalie x
Our mission is to provide a firm foundation for women to rebuild from and the confidence to believe that everything is possible and we are excited about building our first home in Rugby.
By giving them a fantastic space to begin to thrive in, B3 Rugby will B3 COLOURFUL, will B3 BOLD, will B3 BRAVE and it will B3 BEAUTIFUL!
B3 Rugby will not be just a building. It will be a sanctuary.
Our women will find a caring, supportive family on every step of their journey.
This exciting project is one you’re going to want to be in on right from the very start.
The first B3 Women's Home, B3 Rugby, is located in Rugby, Warwickshire. Moments from the town centre and railway station with frequent trains to London and the rest of the UK. It is also close to the M1/M6.
It is an 8 bedroom two storey Victorian semi-detached property which has a single storey forge outbuilding with a mezzanine level attached at the rear. It has been owned by Natalie Brown for the past 15 years.
The main building was originally used as a HMO and the plan is to convert and remodel the house into 6/7 ensuite bedrooms with a shared kitchen/dining room and centred around a small courtyard. The forge will be converted into a communal/training centre.
Definition of a forge:
After speaking with various charities and the local authority, we felt this was the best use of the space in order to give the women who may arrive with children a place and space of their own.
Phase 1 of the project will comprise of the re-development of the main building and the re-development of the forge will be Phase 2.
We are going to have so much fun turning this blank canvas into a work-of-art and a positive and uplifting space where women can come and find sanctuary.
B3 Rugby is not just a house but a home.
Every room will be fully furnished and equipped with all the essentials a woman needs to get started on a new journey, alongside shared facilities to foster the ethos of community and support. Our women will be able to laugh it up in the forge, catch-up in the kitchen, or cool off in the courtyard.
Our intention is for B3 Rugby to be the first of many homes around the world that have been designed for women in need – but we’ll need your help to turn this dream into a reality.
Using Crowdfunder to finance the renovation is a big part of the plan and this really is an opportunity for you to give something back, but also to be one of the first backers to get involved with what will be a beacon of hope to women in communities across the globe.
Natalie Brown, the founder of B3 Women’s Home, describes herself as a Women’s Community Builder and an ordinary woman from an ordinary background who went on to do extraordinary things.
Natalie has worked hard over the years to build the life of her dreams and is now determined to pay it forward by helping women in difficult situations.
After overcoming a number of challenging life issues herself, Natalie now has her own online life/style channel, Time With Natalie, which encourages women to be bold, brave and beautiful.
She has had many career successes and along the way has always supported charities and donated to causes close to her heart that support and uplift women.
Natalie says:
“I’ve been fortunate enough to travel the globe and rub shoulders with some top VIP’s, which is a big deal for an ordinary girl from Rugby, and one of the main purposes when I travel is to find ways to encourage, inspire and support women to live their dream life.
Some of the many beautiful experiences I’ve had include supporting Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Unite with their initiatives, and I’ve also had the privilege of taking women from the UK and South Africa to see Oprah live in the US. I produced a documentary of this amazing opportunity and seeing the women so inspired filled my heart with joy.
Ultimately I want to be able to impact more women in more ways and I’m determined to build real change for everyday women just like me.
It hasn’t always been jet-setting and VIP’s. I've had my fair share of hard times too. Severe anxiety and depression led me to have a nervous breakdown after being a victim of domestic abuse.
I was fortunate enough to have a place to escape to and support from family and friends, but not all women are fortunate enough to have this and can find themselves facing challenges alone. Homelessness, domestic abuse, mental health, drug and alcohol misuse are struggles that can be a part of our lives at any time.
Which is why my dream is to create homes for women so that they don't have to struggle through those challenges alone. I want to help women to rebuild their confidence, discover their true identity and take control of their lives.
Join me on this journey, because by supporting and building strong foundations for women in our communities, we support and build everyone else up too!”
Through our partners:
B3 Rugby eliminates the need to agonise over how best to support these women. You become a part of their journey by helping to provide spaces and places where they can thrive.
B3 Rugby is a rallying point and we really need your support in order to be able to complete this vision.
Make a difference by backing our project now!
Help us meet and exceed our goal for B3 Rugby in order to to build a strong foundation for these women. This women’s home will be a catalyst for change in supporting not only women but also communities across the world.
This is what we need and here’s how we'll use the funds.
Our first steps will be to execute the renovation of the main building. Design/engineering planning has taken place with a view to creating one of the most unique homes in Rugby.
The design will place us on the map and turn heads as to a new standard for women’s homes in order to uplift the women who are in need of them.
Reaching our goal of £100,000 allows us to complete the renovation of the forge outbuilding. We're excited that raising the money for this second phase will allow us to modernise this very unique space.
This building will be used to support the women with training sessions, workshops, childcare, meetings, etc.
Proceeds of funds: All proceeds from this campaign will go directly to support the renovation of B3 Rugby and will be deposited and managed by our social enterprise.
Design of the Home: B3 Rugby will be custom designed to fit the needs of the women it is intended to help. I will have my feet on the ground, and along with the architect, will be directly responsible for the design of every bit of the home.
Your involvement NOW will make a difference immediately. We are raising funds here to attract the best of the best when it comes to building a women’s home unlike any other.
You are invited to watch every step of this process through to completion. Everything is being documented on social media and we will show you how your support has helped towards building a home that is a sanctuary.
Risks and Challenges
No one wants to see a good idea executed poorly, especially one that has a purpose as strong as ours.This idea has been incubated for years.
Twelve months ago Natalie began giving it legs, meeting with advisors and consultants and assembling people to research and prepare the idea as a product for Crowdfunder. Much diligence and many resources have been invested in to get it to this point. However, we know a concept like this will have numerous challenges to bring it to full reality.
But here's what keeps us moving forward (and the reason we chose Crowdfunder to fund the initial phase of this project): you have shown us overwhelming support. You, the community, along with industry outsiders and insiders, non-profit partners and leading voices from a variety of sectors continue to champion this idea and speak into it.
We continually hear of ways to expand our vision beyond our first location. We have yet to hear from anyone who has a reason for us to believe this can’t become reality but we temper our optimism with caution. We know the next few months (what we’re calling our foundation phase) may be challenging, but we are excited about taking the next necessary steps.
DREAM TEAM: The aim of this Crowdfunder is to fund the first B3 Women’s Home in Rugby and to bring this project to completion. We will be working with the best people in the sector and a great pool of experts in order to get the job done.
GIVING BACK: Once our project is out of the ground and we are operating as the first B3 Women’s Home, we will have more ability to generate profit and begin building more places and spaces for women to thrive. From day one we’ll source from and partner with organisations that are currently helping women in need.
There is some risk in getting us where we need to be, however, we know how important these spaces are and believe that what we are aiming to achieve will inspire other organisations to partner with us, ultimately bringing together a global community that wants to see change and who will support the women who need help in making those changes.
Any pledge amount adds critical momentum and brings us one step closer to our goal.
Help us make B3 Rugby a reality by selecting one of our rewards or donating today. Help us spread the word by sharing our page and telling your friends!
THANK YOU for believing in B3 Rugby. It's time to help all women to be free.
Let’s start building together!
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