Shantona Women’s and Family Services

Shantona has been operating as a limited company since January 1998 and as a registered charity since 28th May 1999.

Our charitable objectives are “To promote the benefit of women in Leeds and the surrounding area by the advancement of education, relief of poverty, the preservation and protection of good health and the provision of facilities for recreation and leisure-time occupation in the interests of social welfare, in particular but without prejudice to the foregoing, for women of Bangladeshi and other Minority ethnic origin”.

Since 1998, we have adapted our services based on the needs of the community and become more ethnically diverse. Currently, people from 36 different countries access our services. Staff and volunteers speak 16 different languages, which reflects the community we serve.

Shantona’s diverse team reaches out to isolated women, building trusting relationships and empowering culturally diverse women and families to be confident, independent, and resilient; to tackle inequality; and to participate in programmes to improve community cohesion. Shantona’s Early years Provision has been awarded Outstanding by Ofsted 2024.

Shantona challenges inequalities, discrimination, and poor cultural practice. We address issues such as domestic violence and abuse (DVA), work around Mental health and wellbeing and have an ISVA (Independent Sexual advisor),preventing extremism and provide parenting support within culturally diverse communities. Through our work, women and girls have developed leadership skills and have become empowered to influence and challenge culturally sensitive issues within their community which would otherwise remain hidden and go unreported.

Shantona is highly regarded by stakeholders across the city of Leeds as a specialist organisation providing culturally sensitive support to communities and over many years, we have developed our resources to support professionals to adopt culturally sensitive services.