FUNDHERSHIP GRANT RECIPIENTS
Jenny Powell
JUNE/JULY 2025 RECIPIENT
Jenny Powell Hair Studio isn’t just a salon, it’s a response to years of feeling overlooked. "Back in 2018, I finally took the leap. After years working in the corporate world, hitting glass ceilings, and knowing deep down there was more for me, I decided to build the thing I couldn’t find. I’ve always loved hair, especially Afro and curly textures, but what really pushed me was realising how few places there were in the North that actually knew how to care for our hair. Not just style it, but care for it. As a Black woman, I’ve had my fair share of salon experiences where I felt misunderstood or like an afterthought. I knew I wasn’t alone. So I started small, selling and fitting extensions, and that slowly grew into a full studio where people could come not just for a service, but for knowledge, support, and care that actually makes a difference. I offer one-to-one consultations, tailored care plans, scalp health support, and I talk people through it all so they leave more confident about their own hair than when they came in. It hasn’t been easy. I didn’t have investors or family money backing me. I was learning as I went, how to run a business, how to manage money, and how to keep going when things felt impossible. Now, as a mum of two, I’m still learning how to juggle it all. But I’ve built this from the ground up, and every lesson has made me more grounded, more resourceful, and more determined to make this work for people like me. One of the most powerful things I did was travel solo through Southeast Asia to find ethical hair extensions that actually match our textures. I built a relationship with a small family-run factory out there that shares my values, no shortcuts, no exploitation, just quality and care. Today, I’m not just running a salon. I’ve created an academy too, a space where I teach other stylists, parents, and even kids how to understand and love textured hair. One of my proudest moments was developing a course just for children, because no child should grow up thinking their hair is “difficult” or “unprofessional.” We deserve better, and it starts with knowledge. My hope is that one day, Afro and curly hair won’t be seen as specialist, just normal. Taught in every salon. Handled with care. Celebrated without exception. Because our hair isn’t a problem to solve. It’s a crown. And we deserve places that treat it that way."
Bukky Ayoade
JULY/AUGUST 2025 RECIPIENT
My journey began rooted in a passion to support women, growing up surrounded by strong women. As a pharmacist of over 3 decades, I have dedicated my life to healthcare, yet my own menopause experience with trying and embarrassing symptoms revealed at the time a critical void in evidence-based, accessible, and culturally relevant information. I resolved my own symptoms using my health background and a lifestyle approach. This personal challenge became the powerful catalyst for Vibrant Midlife CIC, inspiring me to empower and support others like me facing similar struggles. During the pandemic, I courageously founded Vibrant Midlife Wellness Practice CIC, stepping away from a consulting career to fully commit to this vital mission. We rapidly evolved from online information sessions and community workshops to leading and delivering impactful national menopause interventions within the NHS. At Vibrant Midlife, we lead culturally relevant programmes as we actively take essential clinician led care into historically underserved communities. Vibrant Midlife, created by Black women for Black women, actively builds trust, empowering women with the right information and tools to create personalised care plans and directly addresses critical health needs and disparities. Our mission: empower women aged 40+ to understand their hormones, improve their health, and thrive in all aspects of life. To date we have impacted the lives of circa 5000 women. This grant will help us reach and impact the lives of more women and we are grateful to the Fundhership Community for your support
Tiwa King
SEPTEMBER 2025 RECIPIENT
I didn’t set out to create a winter festival. I simply wanted to build a space where families like mine could breathe, where children like mine could be free. My son is an incredible young boy with an autism diagnosis, and one afternoon in a playground changed everything. I watched children run away from him, shouting, “He ruins everything.” In that moment, my heart broke and something inside me shifted. I vowed that no mother or child should ever have to feel the tears I did that day. I promised myself I would create spaces where children and families with SEND could exist unapologetically, freely and without judgment. That promise birthed SENshine Fest, a self-funded, fully accessible festival for children with special educational needs and families who wanted to learn, love and lean into neurodivergence. It was a huge success, with 200 families attending. My personal savings were gone, but my heart was full. When I opened my inbox, over 100 families had written to ask the same question: “When’s the next one?” and “How can we make it happen together?” And so, SENshine Wonderland was born, an inclusive Winter Wonderland for SEND families and for anyone who wants to learn and embrace difference. Something soft. Something safe. Something that sparkles our way. This grant means that 200 families will experience a Christmas they have never known before. It means my son and I will not have to choose between creating SENshine Wonderland and having our own Christmas. But even bigger than that, it waters the seed of belonging, safety and pride that every SEND family deserves to feel. When we become the biggest SEND festival in the UK, we will never forget that the FundHERship Grant believed in this Black woman, her incredible son and the change we are determined to make in the world. Behind it all is Beyond a Song CIC, founded in 2022 to instil wellbeing at everyone’s core through the power of music. Through our NeuroVision arm, we now deliver inclusive, creative and wellbeing-led experiences for neurodiverse communities, building safe, joyful spaces where every family can feel seen, celebrated and supported. Because this isn’t just about inclusion, it’s about belonging. It’s about rewriting the narrative for SEND families and reminding the world that our children don’t just deserve to be invited in, they deserve to shine. Thank you to Nanna, the board, and all my sisters I haven’t met, that have made this possible.
