Co-Founder and Co-Director of SHE: Social Hub Entrepreneurs, Julia Perry, will be parting from the community she helped build, the organisation announced on Monday morning.

SHE: Social Hub Entrepreneurs is a support network for women in Malta, designed to help establish connections and relations in business that has gone from strength to strength since its launch.

It was launched in May 2017 by Sarah Woods and Julia Perry, and has grown consistently from 50 attendees at the first ticketed event in June 2017, hosted by the Lily Agius Gallery, to over 100 at subsequent 2018/2019 events.

Taking to social media on Monday morning, SHE said that organisation “would have never come to be and with her it has grown to be an incredibly valuable instrument for all the women who have been lucky enough to be a part of it”.

“Despite no longer being a Co-Director of SHE, Julia will always be an integral part of our Community.”

Director Sarah Woods wrote that “on a personal level I would like to say that the last few years working with Julia alongside me have been truly inspiring and the experiences we have shared together have built the foundations on which to take SHE forward into the coming years”.

Ms Perry penned an open letter to the SHE community, where she explained that the time had come to part with a community she helped build and watch flourish.

“It hasn’t been easy to come to terms with, but after an eventful time with SHE, sounds are calling in a new direction,” she wrote.

“I’ve enjoyed and gained valuable experience from working alongside my Co-founding partner Sass Woods for the last four years. Together we have developed a brand that would unite and support women, even, in some cases, change lives.

“Because of this, I remain confident that following my departure as Co-Director, the community will strive for better and continue to grow a welcoming hub where ideas can be exchanged and lasting connections made.

“Thank you to everyone who has come along to our events so far and embraced the space Sass and myself created both in the physical sense and more recently, online. To all of our guest speakers, friends, audience members and virtual followers, you have inspired us in so many ways and for this I will remain forever grateful”

Ms Perry urged the continued support of the SHE network and collaborators, “many of whom, small business owners with a desire to connect and succeed.

“Women championing women is what the community stands for and as it’s leader from today, Sass Woods, whose passion for the cause and her determination to take it on to a new level during trying times is nothing short of admirable.

“With love and warmth I say goodbye as Co-Director of the SHE community, it is indeed a privilege to be part of the community’s history and feel hopeful that the connections made so far, will go the distance.”