This year, Chair, Beverley Williams was successful in her nomination for the Women of Impact Awards 2025 for her dedicated service to Amadudu Women’s Refuge for over 30 years. As the longest serving member of the team. The category was Sisterhood and Solidarity Uplifting and Supporting Other Women.
Beverley is employed as the Tenant Engagement and Community Regeneration Manager at Steve Biko Housing Association, whose ethos is homes and communities without racism. Beverley brings a wealth of expertise to Amadudu, ensuring firstly that the women and children who come to Amadudu are safe and with help and support are able to look towards creating a safe future for their families. Amadudu ethos is to ensure women and children are resettled in suitable accommodations in areas free from racism and enabling women and children access to local amenities that meet there cultural and religious needs and to become established members of the local communities that they reside in.
Amadudu is the only Black and other ethnic minority women’s refuge in Merseyside that is led by Black women and ensures the service users cultural needs, and aspirations are met.
Beverley has led the organisation through numerous procurement tenders, and challenging operating environment, including through the Covid pandemic. At a time when local and national communities having been impacted by successive government cuts. Beverley has continued to fundraise on behalf of Amadudu to ensure continued security for the next 5 years, demonstrating her passion and commitment to our service.
Beverley is formidable ally advocating for the rights of BME women and children, working behind the scenes and on the battlefield where she is visible at community events, demonstrations, marches and closer to home, involved hands on at refuge events and activities, making herself accessible to service users and children as an additional form of support.
Leading by example in her transformative leadership style that has served to develop Amadudu Women’s refuge service, Beverley’s vision and dedication to fundraising for the improvement of our service, has seen us grow from a team of 5, to a team of 8 staff and 6 volunteers.
Beverley has the full respect of the staff and volunteer team.
Her commitment to Amadudu, her tireless fundraising on behalf of women and children has ensured this much needed specialised service provision continues.
Her work has directly enabled Amadudu to provide women and children with 24/7, 365 days a year support that includes, advocacy, childcare, emotional and financial support.
Beverley is very much a women of impact and deserves to be recognised for the tireless work that she has done in the support of Amadudu.
“Bev absolutely deserves to be recognised for her work, and her drive to keep going, her will and drive is exceptional. I am really proud of her, and she is my role model for tenacity and strength” Tracey Gore, director of Steve Biko Housing Association