Thank you for all your lovely supportive messages after last week’s newsletter – I promise this one is a bit more upbeat!
We’ve been pondering how we take our precious community to the next level … and we’ve got load of exciting ideas (scroll down to find out more). We want to provide more chances to be together, more expert help through midlife pinchpoints, more new friends. But to grow and expand NOON, we need some investment.
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That’s why I’m asking you directly in this newsletter: Will you commit to helping NOON by giving us a one-off donation to fund our expansion?
I know.
It might be surprising to you to get this request. I’m surprised to be asking.
But you – our community of Queenagers – are key to ensuring the future of our Circles, Retreats, Book Clubs, walks, events, webinars, as well as our raft of new 2025 plans. We’re asking for donations through Crowdfunder – it’s reliable, it’s trustworthy and its fee structure means we can make the most of what you give.
You can click through directly to our Crowdfunder page, or read on to find out:
- What we’ll be using your donations for
- Why we’re asking now
- What this means for membership
- Your role in NOON’s mission
- A confession from me
- ‘How much are people giving?’
We want to tell more Queenager stories
How this fits in with membership
Now, I know some of you are already supporting us with your paid membership. And for this we are truly grateful.
There are also more than 16,000 of you in our Queenager community reading this newsletter (and enjoying it, based on our eye-popping open-rates of 70% some weeks)!
I understand many of you don’t want or aren’t in a position to commit to a recurring subscription. But a one-time donation at any level will make a real difference to help NOON continue to exist and thrive.
And we’ve got big plans that will make your donation worthwhile.
We’re all about community … and finding your new tribe
Bringing you important viewpoints & voices
What will this fund?
We’ve set our Crowdfunder goal at £20,000, which will put us on the road to realising our ambitious plans for 2025:
- A wider offering of free NOON Walks around the UK, to welcome more Queenagers into the fold
- Expanding NOON Circles. Currently our generous hosts volunteer their time and homes; we would like to be able to pay them a stipend. We also want to host Circles in more central venues to make them more accessible – that requires covering venue costs
- A NOON Forum so you can connect with each other
- More content from and about the Queenager perspective – so important as women’s voices and possibilities feel seriously in retreat globally
- More expert help through the pinchpoints of midlife, with insights from experts, coaches and in-the-know Queenagers. We’ll do this via Workshops, Webinars, Panel Discussions and Courses (online and IRL)
- Specific Newsletters catering to your midlife collision issues
… and that’s just for starters.
We hope ultimately these initiatives will become self-funding. In the meantime, we need help to get them going.
And they all tie in to our larger mission together …
What we’ve done so far
I’ve been looking back over this year which really has been a whirlwind; publishing my book, launching NOON Circles across the UK and now the US, hosting an event at the Labour Party Conference, speaking to so many of you in person and online.
Behind the scenes, we’ve created our Membership programme and migrated all our data off Substack and into our own system on the NOON website.
My personal highs include the ski trip, our Wasing Retreats, our wonderful sunny day swimming in Warwickshire and of course, our overnight retreats: The drumming, Eidetics and ice baths at Broughton in May and the Welsh walks and serenity at Wern-y-Cwm in October.
My biggest learning has been the magic we create when we all get together. I know you wonderful Queenagers feel it too, and some of you have been kind enough to send us testimonials about just how much NOON means to you. Some have even made me cry (not difficult at the moment, granted!).
We need each other
Through this community, we are all helping ourselves and each other shaping the lives we want.
NOON is changing the story about women like us to something more positive and fit for purpose. We’re doing it for women 50+ … and the women who come behind us. We are a pioneering generation, but society hasn’t caught up.
This new conversation goes against the grain of what the culture currently values in women (youth and fecundity). “Out there” in the boardrooms and with sponsors, it’s frequently a hard sell.
I’ve spent the last 4 years trying to fund NOON through alliances with sympathetic brands and investors – but the reality is the commercial cavalry are not coming, at least not yet.
If we want to continue to create this safe, supportive, fun, optimistic Queenager space, we need to do it ourselves and fund it ourselves!
We aim to do things differently
How you can donate
We’d love it if you would pop over to our Crowdfunder now and give what you can to support NOON and your fellow Queenagers
Why we decided to crowdfund
The business experts, our Advisory Board and others in the business community whom we’ve talked to unanimously agree if we want to successfully grow the NOON community, it’s essential we don’t lose control of our voice and our mission (which includes purpose, creativity and – of course – fun!)
All the experts told us: The best way to do that isn’t by taking money from a disinterested investors – it is by raising money from the people who get you.
Why we need your help now
Funding often overlooks Queenagers.
Setting up a business has never been more popular with our demographic. Research from MIT and Wharton suggests 50-year-old founders are twice as likely to build a thriving enterprise than 30-year-olds. But the funding rates for female entrepreneurs (let alone Queenager ones) is dire.
Less than 2% of venture capital funding is going to women (yes, you read that right). And given the very real nature of gendered ageism, the sums going to older female founders are minimal.
I have taken no salary since I set up NOON, ploughing revenues back into the site, the team and the content. Our NOON HQ team – Amy, Jennifer, Jocelyn and Karen – frequently go above and beyond, logging on evenings and weekends to keep things going, answering queries and organising our offerings. And our wider circle of FONs (Friends of NOON), such as our yogi Leslie and our journaling expert Alison, give freely of their time and energy. (Indeed, they are too numerous to mention them all by name here.)
However we can’t bootstrap the next phase – which is why I am asking all of you to help us over this hump.
We are working our socks off for you
A confession: I’m nervous asking for your help
When this suggestion of a Crowdfunder was first mooted, I felt a sense of horror about even asking. I have always found it easier to offer support and help than to ask for it myself. Self reliance is a value that’s been drilled into me since I was a girl.
But having done some serious soul-searching, I realised that since this ask is not for me but for all of us, it was ok to ask for help to ensure NOON’s future. And so many of you have got in touch saying how much NOON and these newsletters have helped you.
So please, if you value what we are doing here at NOON, want to help ensure our 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond continue to improve, please consider donating something to our Crowdfunder!
Yes I’ll help Eleanor grow NOON
‘How much are people giving?’
The Crowdfunder campaign is set up to suggest particular amounts. But don’t feel constrained. You can go higher or lower, depending on what suits you. Whatever the donation, we appreciate it!
Maybe think of it as a Christmas present to the NOON Community. Or, if you enjoy reading my newsletter every Sunday (and since it’s my 54th birthday next week), consider a “birthday present” in the form of a donation – such as the equivalent of a birthday cocktail, bottle of fizz, book … or a big evening out (hey, I can dream!).
If you’ve been hesitating about becoming a Paid Member, perhaps take the plunge and become a paid member. It gives you access to more benefits and content in 2025 as well as this amazing tribe of women via NOON Circles, Book Club, parties and so much more.
Anything, no matter how small, will help the NOON Queenager project. You’ll be more part of this exciting midlife tribe. And as we know: When we women support each other, we all rise!
All the best – and thank you.
Xx
Eleanor
P.S On Wednesday we are launching our latest newsletter, the Queenager Edit. Every other week we’ll pass on our best picks on what to watch, read and do, providing joy and knowledge about midlife. Please look out for it.
