Bridging Gaps is the lived experience consultancy group facilitated by One25.

The group consists of women who have experienced trauma including addiction, homelessness, mental ill-health, sexual exploitation and street sex work, domestic and sexual violence, and poverty.

Bridging Gaps was created in 2019 by former One25 GP, Lucy Potter; a group of Bristol women with lived experience; some One25 professionals; and researchers. Bridging Gaps was formed with the initial aim to improve access to GP practices for women with trauma and complex needs, who often face barriers to receiving healthcare. Bridging Gaps have been very successful in this area and have improved access to four GP practices in Bristol. These changes and improvements are still in place today through open access clinics, care coordinator roles and improving understanding of trauma informed services.

Since 2023, Bridging Gaps has become the lived experience voice of One25, consulting on areas such as strategic goals, developing One25’s training offer to other professionals, and recruitment. They are paid consultants and a crucial part of One25, helping to shape our services and challenge systemic barriers with their expertise to work as effectively as possible for women street sex-working in Bristol.

Since the start of 2024, Bridging Gaps has trained over 200 professionals, including primary care professionals, GP trainees, Master’s students, researchers and voluntary sector staff. This includes:

• Trauma-Informed Care training for ICS leaders and for Health Equity focussed trainees
• Co-Production in Primary Care training with the School for Primary Care Research
• Participatory research training for MSc students at the University of Bristol
• Contributing to an NHS England online course: Working with People and Communities to Improve General Practice in Primary Care (686 people are currently enrolled)
• Delivering ‘Supporting Women who Street Sex Work’ training, a co-produced and co-delivered training session to increase awareness of experiences of women who street sex work.

Bridging Gaps have contributed to academic work too, including a paper about their work with Bristol GP practices, and an article on how health inequalities can be tackled together in primary care.

Bridging Gaps have also been consulted on the Health Needs Assessment of Sex Workers in Bristol (Public Health Bristol) and the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping 5 year Strategy (Bristol City Council).

Bridging Gaps have been recognised for their incredible work, winning two Great Practice Awards 2020 for ‘Inspiring Change’ and facilitating Golden Key’s ‘Independent Futures’, a partnership to improve services for Bristolians with the most complex needs. They were also awarded the 2022 University of Bristol Open Research Prize in the category of Widening Reach. Most recently, the group have been recognised in the Annual Recognition Awards in Trauma Research and Practice 2024 for their contribution to applied research or clinical initiative that focuses on improving the understanding management or outcomes of the psychological trauma in marginalised populations.