It is challenging for the women to face another lockdown and challenging for all of us at One25 to respond.

We know that women are particularly at risk who are experiencing domestic abuse, don’t have secure housing or have immediate health issues. Many more will be feeling isolated and anxious. Their needs are the reason we exist and the services we offer are essential.

Here’s how staff and volunteers will be adapting services from Thursday morning to keep meeting women where they are:

All service teams will be working together to keep engaging with women by phone (providing phones where necessary) and by meeting to give food and activity packs.

• The night outreach van will continue offering a window service to women trapped in street sex work. This is with the support of Avon & Somerset Police.
• The casework team, with all frontline workers, will respond to emergencies as we always would.
• Drop-in will not be open but will still connect women with the integrated medical provision we offer from BrisDoc and Unity Sexual Health.
• Peony’s specialist support groups are exempt from lockdown. In addition, the team will keep connected with women over Zoom where possible, to maintain activity sessions for confidence and wellbeing as they grow in their recovery journeys.
• The Pause Bristol weekly group meeting is also exempt and the team will keep working with women by phone to bring them onto the programme after the trauma of child removal.

In the ways that worked so well before, we’ll be right there for women with love, practical help and professional support. We’re there so that each one will be on their own path to safety and thriving. We hope that we will be able to resume our vital face-to-face services as soon as is safe again.

Please keep holding each of them, and all of us, in your hearts. I hope that those you are close to can stay safe and keep caring for one another.

Thank you,

Anna