"Without the outreach bus, I would not have gone to the drop-in to get prescriptions and I wouldn’t have seen what One25 could do for me or believe I was capable of change. The outreach bus is necessary to reach those so far out of society they would otherwise be unreachable."

- Gabby

The streets are dangerous, lonely and difficult to leave

The nearly 140 women street sex-working in Bristol are in crisis, using dangerous drugs to cope with trauma, sex working to fund their addiction and further traumatised by violence.

One25’s outreach service is a lifeline

The night outreach van can be the vital first step towards a safer and healthier life. Volunteers offer safety, love and practical support. For women who’ve experienced a lifetime of abuse, it can be the starting point for brave steps away from the street. Outreach teams meet women’s basic needs by providing nutritious food, First Aid, warm clothing, condoms, safety alarms and harm reduction kits for drug use. The service offers the chance to talk and get advice in a safe space. It encourages women to get more in-depth support by visiting our health hub or seeing a specialist caseworker.

The life-controlling cycle of selling sex to buy and take drugs (for themselves and often for a coercive partner) stops women taking care of their basic needs. They are acutely malnourished and many are so ill that they should be hospitalised. Outreach teams also give emergency help in a crisis, for example when a woman has been attacked. In these cases highly-trained volunteers can support a woman to give details of the attack which can then be used to warn other women (Ugly Mugs).