Founded in 1988

Wen was founded by Bernadette Vallely to bring a gender-sensitive approach to the environmental movement. Bernadette recognised that women’s voices and perspectives were not being considered and were often overlooked. 

Bernadette set up Wen’s first office in Islington, London in 1988, having sold her house to use the proceeds to pay the rent. She was quickly joined by her ex Friends of the Earth colleagues, Francesca Reynolds and Alison Costello. 

A public appeal to women across Britain attracted the early support of several well-known names including Anita Roddick, Peggy Seeger, Joan Ruddock, Diana Schumacher and Carol Tongue. They sent money in support and lent their names to attract other women to join and so Wen membership began! 

Within a short time the organisation also attracted Ann Link as a volunteer, who helped to create the Sanitary Protection Scandal book and campaign. 

Anita Roddick, British businesswoman and human rights activist, was one of Wen’s biggest funders and the organisation would not have thrived without her financial, practical and moral support. 

Photos, clockwise from top left: The Big Green Gathering, Menstrual Tent; Breast Cancer Prevention. toxic tour at Westminster (with Helen Lynn); Ease the Wheeze, air pollution campaign; Stop the War March; Breast Cancer Prevention demonstration; taking part in the World Summit demo in  Johannesburg.

Wen’s groundbreaking campaigns and actions:

 

1988/ THE FIRST CAMPAIGN – Wen’s first campaign is to collect eco books for a women’s run library in Poland.

1989/ REDUCTION OF CHLORINE BLEACHING IN NAPPIES AND PERIOD PRODUCTS – Wen successfully campaigned to stop the chlorine bleaching of paper products used to make single-use disposable period pads and nappies – most major manufacturers switched to a less polluting form of bleaching.

1989/ THE SANITARY PROTECTION SCANDAL BOOK IS PUBLISHED – This groundbreaking book by Alison Costello, Bernadette Vallely and Josa Young was the first to look at period pads, tampons and nappies and the environmental and health impacts of their production, use and disposal.

1994 – 2001/ BAN LINDANE CAMPAIGN – Working with trade unions and NGOs, Wen worked to ban the toxic pesticide Lindane. 

1995 – 2007/ BREAST CANCER PREVENTION – Making the links between breast cancer and environmental and occupational exposures with the UK working group on the primary prevention of breast cancer and No More Breast Cancer Campaign, Wen worked with WECF to bring the issue to the international agenda. 

1996 – 2000/ BAG IT AND BIN IT CAMPAIGN – To reduce the incidence of period products and other sewage related debris on UK beaches and riverbanks, Wen campaigned to encourage people not to flush period products and wipes down the toilet but to bag them and bin them instead. 

1997 – 1999/ PUTTING BREAST CANCER ON THE MAP – Wen used lay epidemiology to make the connections between our health, breast cancer cases and local sources of environmental and occupational pollution. 

1997/ REAL NAPPY WEEK LAUNCHED – Wen’s iconic Real Nappy Week launches as a joint collaboration between Wen, The Real Nappy Association and the National association of Nappy Services. This is followed by the first investigation into the problem of nappy waste and how to reduce it, paving the way for local and national government acceptance of and action on nappy waste.

1996/ AIR POLLUTION, TRAFFIC AND OUR HEALTH REPORT PUBLISHED – Air Pollution, Traffic and our Health report examined in depth the effect of air pollutants on child asthma and gave practical solutions to minimise exposure. 

1998/ WASTE MINIMISATION ACT – The Waste minimisation Act, initiated by Wen, gives local authorities power to introduce waste reducing measures and promote waste preventing ideas.

2000-2004/ WOMEN TAKING ACTION FOR A HEALTHIER PLANET –As the milestone of the Millenium captured everyone’s attention, Wen empowered women and their communities to take action and campaign to change policy on environmental issues that concerned them.   

2002/ WORLD SUMMIT IN JOHANNESBURG – Wen attended the World Summit bringing UK visions for a healthier planet and organising a side event on gender, justice, health and the environment.  

2003/ REACH – The team worked with UK NGOs to lobby the European Parliament on REACH (EU chemicals regulation).

2006/REAL NAPPIES FOR LONDON – Wen starts a new groundbreaking waste prevention initiative, partnering with local government, businesses, grassroots organisations, and residents, across London, to tackle disposable nappy waste and reduce single-use plastic.

2007/ WOMEN’S MANIFESTO ON CLIMATE CHANGE – Women’s Manifesto on Climate Change launched by Wen and the Women’s Institute.

2010/ TOWER HAMLETS FOOD GROWING NETWORK – Wen becomes the Capital Growth local lead for Tower Hamlets and starts the Tower Hamlets Food Growing Network, an ever growing network of community growers passionate about food growing.

2015/ GARDENS FOR LIFE PROJECT – Gardens for Life  was launched, funded by Tower Hamlets Public Health, with Wen creating 15 new community growing spaces across the borough in 15 months.

2016/ LAUNCH OF LIVE WELL COOKING AND GARDENING COURSE AND TOWER HAMLETS GREEN CARE PARTNERSHIP – Launch of Live Well cooking and gardening course at Limborough Community Kitchen and Garden. Wen starts the Tower Hamlets Green Care partnership and delivers Social and Therapeutic Horticulture sessions at Mile End Hospital and Isle of Dogs. 

2017/ SOIL SISTERS AND CLIMATE LEADERSHIP PROGRAMMES – The Soil Sisters programme was launched by Wen, working with residents in five women’s refuges to create therapeutic food growing spaces. Launch of Women’s Voices climate leadership programme, aimed at diversifying the environmental movement and bringing more women’s voices into environmental decision-making.

2017/ WEN FORUM – Creating a space for dynamic discussion and debate, the first Wen Forum took place. Now a regular forum exploring environmental, gender, equity and health issues through a feminist lens.

2018/ ENVIRONMENSTRUAL CAMPAIGN AND ENVIRONMENSTRUAL WEEK – Wen creates the Environmenstrual Campaign, forms the Environmenstrual Coalition and launches the first Environmenstrual Week of Action. Wen gives evidence to the GLA on environmental impacts of disposable menstrual products, particularly plastic waste. 

2019/ ENVIRONMENSTRUAL AMBASSADOR TRAINING PROGRAMME – Launch of Wen’s Environmenstrual Ambassador training programme, training 50 volunteers to provide unbiased period education so more people can make informed decisions about the period products they use.

2020/ LAUNCHED JUST FOOD AND CLIMATE TRANSITION (JUST FACT) PROGRAMME – Wen supported communities to create a blueprint for a more just and sustainable food system in Tower Hamlets,inspiring others to start their own similar initiatives by being a model, sharing learnings, a blueprint, framework of the process and a do’s and don’t fact sheet. 

2021/ GENDER JUST CHEMICALS POLICY: TOGETHER FOR A TOXIC FREE FUTURE REPORT – This joint publication with WECF and Wen called for gender-equitable protection from toxic chemicals and a toxic-free future for all.

2021 – 2024/ HERTS SUSTAINABLE PERIODS PROJECT WITH HERTFORDSHIRE COUNCIL WASTE AWARE – Working with Herts Council to train 72 teaching staff across Hertfordshire, in 90 schools to deliver sustainable period education. 

2021/ CLIMATE SISTERS PROGRAMME LAUNCHED – Aiming to amplify and centre the voices of the under represented and marginalised women specifically in the climate arena.

2022/ ALL PARTY PARLIAMENTARY GROUP (APPG) ON A GREEN NEW DEAL – Wen contributes to an event in Westminster on a Feminist Green New Deal (FemGND),platforming grassroots women’s organisations in policy making.

2022 – 2023/ FEMINIST GREEN NEW DEAL REPORT AND A GREEN AND CARING ECONOMY KEY MESSAGES – Published Feminist Green New Deal  Policy papers including: rethinking transport, housing, shorter working week, social security, sustainable food systems, labour market changes and reproductive justice. 

2023- 2024/ REDUCE REUSE YOUR CYCLE, NORTH LONDON WASTE AUTHORITY – Wen launches its latest behaviour change project to promote reusable period products in the Capital, running Ambassador training sessions, workshops and stalls at events.

2023/ LAUNCH OF SOIL SISTERS TOOLKIT – Sharing experience and showcasing best practice for delivering a therapeutic horticulture programme in women’s refuges.

2023/ LAUNCH OF GREEN BABY CAMPAIGN, GREEN BABY DAY, GREEN BABY TOOLKIT, FEATHERING YOUR NEST REPORT

2024/ LAUNCH OF THE REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE & THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY REPORT – Part of the Feminist Green New Deal policy papers and summary

2024/ LAUNCH OF  NO LAUGHING MATTER BRIEFING ON STRESS INCONTINENCE – Wen decided to break  the taboo of this topic and started a debate on the role that reusables could play to address this.