A collective network you can trust
We are Counter-Col, a network dedicated to the black woman and their working life experiences. Counter-Col Network (CCN) aims to create the space for black women to RESTORE, be EMPOWERED and ACHIEVE.
Made up of professional women of African and Caribbean diaspora descent, the team behind the network is collaborating to harness the power of our collective voice to bring about the change we need. Our sole purpose is to equip, support and empower black women to excel in the workplace and be strategically confident in dealing with issues of race, equality and diversity.
We come together with similar stories and are leveraging our learned experiences to liberate black women to take control of their working lives and career success. CCN is about forming a culture of our own by empowering ourselves to flourish despite the tide of oppression and suppression we so often face. We are building a culture of unashamed support as together we are stronger.
The journey for black women is not comfortable. Faced with systemic barriers, challenges that knock self-esteem and limited opportunities to professionally develop, it’s no wonder black women are the least represented at the Executive Board level. Just five black women are among the 415 leading board members at the top of British Sport (Telegraph) and Black women represent only 3% of board members at UK trade bodies (Music Business Worldwide). These statistics are not uncommon and are reflected across most industries, but it’s time for us to change the narrative. We have the power to counter and defy the dominant culture we have accepted for too long.
The network aims to provide a comprehensive resource hub, partnering with several organisations to offer and promote support services such as coaching, mentoring, counselling and psychotherapy, training and legal services. CCN Support is live, exclusively providing a space for black women to process and respond to work experiences in ways that serve them well. We hope in time to develop this offering into a support line. There is also the opportunity to the CCN member community which will provide additional benefits such as discounts to events and open discussion forums.
RESTORE
Stress triggers our fight-or-flight response. Years of haemorrhaged confidence can trigger emotional reactions that cause the body to go into defensive mode. Our support aims to help black women to mobilise their parasympathetic nervous system to enable them to rest, digest and RESTORE.
EMPOWER
We aim to connect and engage with black women to support them in identifying new tools, knowledge and skills to process and reassess their lived experience in healthier ways. By signposting our network members to trusted organisations that can offer real support, our women become empowered to take control of their future.
ACHIEVE
Representation matters. Through our members’ forum, we provide access to heroic stories and role models for every black woman. Even with a flawed system designed to work against us, we encourage black women to continue to fulfil their purpose and strive to achieve their goals and reach beyond the limits that have stood in our way.