Registered Charity Number: 1099006

One25 and the work that they do

Posted by Friends of Beyond the Streets on 05/12/2011 at 10:33 AM



Van outreach and Vice team – unlikely allies


One25 is an award-winning charity in Bristol reaching out to women trapped in street sex work. In our previous article ‘Susie’s story’ we outlined how women can break free from a chaotic life, thanks to One25’s team that comprises 25 paid staff, and 140 volunteers. Each year, we reach over 280 women living a life that is often fuelled by addition to drugs and alcohol, helping them to take those vital first steps in a bid to exit the streets.  We are the only organisation in Bristol specifically supporting these 220 street-working women and 60 who have exited.


During our sixteen years of activity, we have developed strong partnerships with many bodies, including the police, NHS organisations, alcohol and substance misuse agencies, and sexual health clinics. Our aim is to bring services directly to women still working the street, giving unconditional love without judging them. Over 99% of the women are addicted to one or more Class A drugs and / or alcohol.


One25’s van outreach is a frontline service which makes contact with the most vulnerable.  Rachel* is one of the women for whom the van meant the difference between extreme isolation, and the chance for a new start.


A voice from the van


Rachel is currently in rehab, and she explains how outreach changed her life. Rachel’s childhood was filled with sexual abuse, neglect and alcoholism, which had seen her accept the wrong relationships and spiral into chaos:


“Street life was just non-stop abuse, sexual and mental, verbal, physical. But I just knew One25 were always there for me. I remember standing on the road waiting for that little yellow van to come round. It was a life saver sometimes. I was barred from every place down there because I worked the streets. Normal people walking down the road wouldn’t give me the time of day.


“But the people on outreach understood. They listened. You’d get on the van, you’d see a smiling face, you’d get that little packed lunch and little hot drinks every night. It was just a safe place to go where you felt a part of something and not shut away from everything. Because I wasn’t part of normal society. I was just existing, you know.”


Recently, One25 has noticed a shift in working patterns, with more women working after midnight.  In response, we launched a late night outreach last July, which identified 33 new women, of whom two thirds have already started using our other services to gain more in-depth support.


A sensitive approach


One of the reasons that One25 sees many of the women exit street work is down to our ability to work with agencies across Bristol, including the police. Although we may take different approaches to the women, what we have in common is an understanding the street-based sex workers should be treated with respect. Vice Liaison Officer Vicky Lewis explains how she and her colleagues take a sensitive line when tackling prostitution:


“We respect the One25 van as it’s the women’s safe space, and we won’t invade on that. It’s a fine balance because the women are breaking the law. We are there to support the women and to enforce the law.”


The partnership between the Vice team and One25 has flourished over the years, with officers running a surgery at the One25 drop-in sessions twice monthly, so that the women can approach the police in familiar surroundings, ask any questions, pass on intelligence and report any issues. Women trapped in street sex-work are 167 times more likely to be a victim of sexual violence than the general population. Of our 220 beneficiaries attacked last year, One25 supported 73 to report to police. Of 34 defendants charged to court, we stabilised and emotionally supported beneficiaries so that 62% (21) defendants were found guilty with a further 3 cases pending.


Vicky Lewis recognises that the women have to be treated sensitively, particularly when they are the target of violent and abusive attacks:


“Our aim is to get the women off the street, exiting prostitution and accessing drugs support programmes. That’s made a lot easier with charities like One25 - they are so committed to their work, passionate and very approachable. Even though we may have different views on how to deal with the situation, we will always consult with each other because we don’t want to do anything to the detriment of the woman if she is in case work, or under a programme.


“I wish every area had a One25, and although some areas have similar projects, One25 are the best, they are so patient.”


This is a sentiment that the women themselves echo, as Rachel* neatly sums up:


“I’m a year clean now. I find it a bit overwhelming sometimes, how much my life has changed in a year. I’d like to work with vulnerable women in the sex industry to show that you can get out of it. I know when you’re out there on the street, you can’t see any way out. I thought that was going to be my life forever. But One25 gave me that hope that I could do it. I’ve got a life now. I’ve got hope.”


In our next item, we’ll be exploring restorative justice and the role of programmes designed to tackle offenders’ behaviour. To find out more about the women we work with, see our website www.one25.org.uk


*Real name changed to protect identity


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