Founders letter - Seasons Change
Hey Babes!
I hope you are well and transitioning into the Autumn months with softness. This cold has come with no grace so hoping you are warm where you are.
I want to send love and solidarity to our brothers and sisters across the Caribbean who have been impacted by Hurricane Melissa. Praying for a smooth restoration process and there are details at the bottom of the email on ways to support.
Seasons Change
So much has happened with us this summer. We were awarded a Phoenix Grant under the Ubele initiative allowing us the resources to increase our team and focus on racial equity. With this we introduced 3 new members of staff and had our first full blown recruitment process. So much was learnt. Some things went wrong, lessons were leant, feedback was given. Other things went well, with babes sharing it had been an interview process where they felt comfortable and safe enough to be themselves.
We grew in other ways too. Expanding partnerships with organisations and professionals that align with our values and launching new courses that I have had on my heart for years. Turning 5 felt like a huge milestone that I am still processing. We are now 360 members deep and are able to run 3-5 sessions a week despite being a team of 2.2 full time equivalent.
When I think about what we achieve, how far we have come and how little we had at the start, I hold so much gratitude and appreciation for who we are as a collective. When we are given the space, safety and freedom to ‘be’ together, what is birthed is so beautiful. It is a type of reassurance and confidence that makes me excited for the future. The world is not always a kind place. There are still many things that weigh heavy on my heart and the rise of facism is impossible to ignore. Within it all, I see strength in the world we are creating despite the barriers. As the summer comes to a close, reflecting on all the achievements, learning and loss, I am intentionally slowing down with the season change.
Nature moves in cycles. Within this capitalist system, we are expected to constantly move, do, work, produce. There is nothing in nature that mirrors that. As the leaves fall and brighten to a golden orange I am considering how we can slow down and take stock of where we are. Our Annual Members survey will be going out in the next couple of weeks. I plan to spend the winter reviewing your thoughts, ideas and dreams. As well as reviewing last year's suggestions and seeing how far we have come. 2026 is round the corner, and the next few months will be a process of planning it in a way where we are choosing our reality.
It is hard to dream without moments of stillness. I hope within all the chaos and moving pieces within your life there can be moments of softness. Where you can connect with the part of you that can imagine. Thank you for reading.
I wish you well until we speak again!
Lots of love
Vivienne x
Support Jamaica - https://www.gofundme.com/f/CaribbeanHurricaneFund
Support Haiti - https://give.hopeforhaiti.com/campaign/739906/donate?c_src=hurricane-melissa
Free Haiti - https://hopeforhaiti.com/
Free Congo - Tiktok & link to the petition
Free Palestine - Thread of ways to support
Free Sudan - Thread of ways to support
Suggestions of ways to support numerous causes, including Hawaii, Lebanon & Yemen
About Vivienne
Vivienne Isebor is a Creative Social Entrepreneur & Womanist, blending community activism, advocacy, psychology, and the arts to drive social change. She is the founder of ADHD Babes, the UK’s only community organisation dedicated to supporting Black women and non-binary people with ADHD, and a qualified Clinical Associate in Psychology from UCL. Beyond her advocacy and psychological work, Vivienne is a combined performing artist, incorporating storytelling, music, poetry, spoken word, and performance to create immersive, community-driven experiences.