The Vision, The plan, Let’s go!

My name is Cleo, I am a passionate, creative person who loves cake, is an avid audiobook listener, likes being amongst nature, exploring new places and experiencing new things with the ones I love.

I am a mother of three currently living in Suffolk, working full time, studying in the evenings and fitting in hobbies where possible. I am very content in my own company and have a small circle of friends who I love spending time with. Cats are cool but I prefer dogs. It’s Country living over city life for me. Experiences and time together over stuff although I’m a sucker for sentimental items. I enjoy exploring the UK on my own or with the kids as there are so many places I’ve never been to here at my big age but I am slowly getting to each location. Festivals are also in my blood, they just make life a bit brighter, good food, great music and even better company what more can you ask for.

The vision for ‘The Joy Of… Collective’ is to create a space for women to connect with themselves and others. To discover what they are truly capable of and align with, what it is they desire for their lives. To celebrate womanhood and bring to light topics that affect women and show how normal it is and that women are not alone in what they are going through and feeling.

The vision is to build a community where women can feel safe to be themselves and explore new versions of themselves without judgement, with support and to take accountability and responsibility over their lives. Community is important and having people in your corner can be the difference between surviving and thriving.

The big vision is to own a patch of land to build homes for women fleeing domestic abuse to help rebuild their lives in a safe, calm, nurturing environment. There will be a supportive team who will help facilitate the running of a programme designed to promote independent living while healing from past trauma, teaching coping mechanisms, and building new skills. We will build relationships with local businesses to provide career opportunities for the women in our programme and others that are part of the community.

There will also be a hub where events, workshops and classes will be held. There will also be a café which champions local produce and displays artwork by local artists. There is a pop up market space where local women in business can have the opportunity to have a space to sell their wares and connect with other women in business.

The vision is big and that was just a snippet of what I wish to create. It’s scary, exciting and on my mind constantly so I have to make it happen.

It all starts with small steps and that currently looks like expanding my skills, walk and talk meet ups, putting on small events, coaching groups, and connecting with others who share my passion for positive change.

Thank you to all of you who have supported me along the way from the ‘House of Cleo’ days, to starting again with ‘The Joy Of… Collective’ with encouraging messages, buying items, coming to past meet ups and events or speaking my name in rooms I’ve never stepped foot in. I appreciate all of it and all of you so much and look forward to seeing what magic will be created from here on out.