CoLab Women: Compassion, Connection and Recovery

Jeanie Lynch, Head of Service for CoLab Women, reflects on decades of community work and what it means to build trust, safety, and hope in Exeter.

We discuss:

• Her early activism in the 1980s Exeter women’s movement and her journey back to the city.
• The origins of CoLab Exeter and how it evolved into a multi-agency support hub.
• Founding Resilient Women, now CoLab Women, a programme helping women rebuild their lives after trauma, homelessness, or the justice system.
• A relationship-based model focused on “what’s strong, not what’s wrong.”
• The new Devon Domestic Abuse Alliance and innovative recovery programmes tailored to each woman’s pace.
• How creativity, art, and belonging underpin recovery.

Resources & Links

• CoLab Exeter
• Devon Domestic Abuse Alliance
• Julian House Devon & Cornwall