Since 2000, we have worked with over 650 women.
Drop-In
.
Our base is open on Wednesday and Friday afternoons (subject to availability) for Drop-in.
Drop-In is available for women who need somewhere safe to be, some practical help, some advice and support, or simply somewhere to come for a cuppa and a chat.
We also offer meals, laundry facilities, a bath and shower room, access to clothing and toiletries. Drop-in also enables women to get involved in activities, learn new skills and grow in confidence.
On Wednesday afternoons we also have our mini-church, ‘Shine’; a time for women to engage in prayer and worship with other women and our staff and volunteer teams.
Street Outreach
.
The Street Outreach Team take to the streets in the minibus up to three evenings a week, meeting women working in the red light district. Our devoted team of drivers, coordinators, and workers join together to support women by providing a listening ear, along with a hot drink, food, warm clothing and prayer.
This provides an opportunity for us to connect with the women - whether it’s a friendly chat or supporting them in accessing services, both at our project and across the city.
Prison Visiting and
Resettlement
We maintain contact with women we know who are spending time in prison primarily through letter writing, prison visits on alternate Tuesdays, and prison pick-ups.
Prison visits allow us to meet women face to face, listen to them and assist them with resettlement structures for their release.
We also provide support on their release from prison. This ranges from assisting contact with probation, giving lifts to appointments, helping them organise details such as bank accounts, or bringing hampers of food and gifts to their homes.
Befriending
We have a team of befrienders who meet with women on a regular basis for a chat, to combat loneliness and isolation. They often meet for coffee in a local café and can offer friendship, advocacy and support with building confidence in life skills.
Our befriending scheme is designed to provide additional support, particularly for those who want to make positive changes in their lives. Our staff and volunteers build relationships with women, to facilitate and empower women on the next stage of their journey.
Individual Support
Bible Study
Another way for service users to get support is to visit us at our drop-in centre or in the community for individual support. These can either be pre-booked appointments or women can simply come to our base when we’re open (subject to availability). For contact info, head to the Get Support page of our website.
At these appointments, we will chat through a woman’s support needs and respond accordingly. This could range from help with applications and referrals, to practical assistance, such as receiving one of our #scriptYR bags of essentials.
Our base is open from 12pm to 4pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
On Friday mornings, we hold Bible studies in a local women’s prison.
Bible studies are opportunities for women to hear more about the light and hope of Jesus, learning more about his character and what that means for them.
We have a range of studies, from a longer Bible overview course created by one of our volunteers, to various books and smaller courses to engage the women that we work with in different ways.
Kintsugi Hope*
Create: New Beginnings*
Off-Street Outreach
Kintsugi Hope is a wellbeing group that provides a safe and supportive space for people, proving tools to help them manage and understand their emotions.
The 12-week series of sessions include group and individual activities designed to help participants to accept themselves, to understand their value and worth, and grow towards a more resilient and hopeful future.
We run these sessions on Tuesday afternoons throughout the year, aiming to run the series 2-3 times per year. Each session invites our service users to explore complex emotions, encouraging them to use the tools provided.
Create: New Beginnings is a restorative art therapy course created by Prison Fellowship to allow women in prison to engage with difficult emotions in a safe space. The 10-week course covers topics such as anxiety, depression, shame, empathy and forgiveness.
Our dedicated staff and volunteers run one session in prison each week over a 10-week course, and we aim to run the course 2-3 times per year.
Already we’ve seen an overwhelmingly positive response from women in prison, and we look forward to seeing how this grows in the future.
This service is currently suspended.
We visit venues across the city where women are working off-street. Through these visits we are able to make initial contact with women, and starting to build trusting relationships with them.
We have a person-centred approach and offer practical, relational and spiritual support to these women, depending on their need. This starts with offering a confidential chaplaincy service and relevant resources to help maintain health and wellbeing.