Latest news with #womenSupport
BBC News
10-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Bridgwater outreach: 'It's so hard leaving women sleeping rough'
"To go home and know you've left them - we've had to tuck women into foil blankets and just say 'see you later' - that can be heartbreaking sometimes."Dani Brown has just spent hours of her Wednesday evening driving and walking around the streets of Bridgwater, an outreach worker with the town's women's centre run by a charity, The Nelson week she and a colleague go looking for homeless women who may need their load up a van with supplies from instant noodles and hot water, to underwear, panic alarms and sanitary products, and go out offering practical help and Sarah, not her real name, knows what a difference this "brilliant" work can five years using heroin, shoplifting, having her kids taken into care, and sleeping "in garages, on the streets, in alleyways", she has now been clean for 18 months. Now 38, Sarah "didn't feel quite so alone" once she found the Bridgwater Women's Centre team after one of many arrests for shoplifting, when she was sent to prison for her second time."That's when I'd had enough. I really missed my kids, obviously I always miss my children, but that's when it clicked like nothing's gonna change until I got off the stuff. "Now, being clean, everything else just falls into place," she the outreach team, Sarah's is a huge success longer sleeping rough, she is now in temporary accommodation and hoping to go to college later this also sees her son everyday which she said is "amazing – I didn't ever think I'd get that back".And she's been been off methadone for the last six weeks: "I'm quite proud of that," Sarah women Dani and her colleague have seen are still in difficult situations. "All the women I support are homeless, they also have complex needs regarding mental health, substance misuse, family breakdowns, they might be facing violence from a partner or another individual," said this particular evening she'd managed to see ten women, three of whom were new or she hadn't seen for a long time."They were in parks, in town, we've seen women in tents, also outside the town centre who have made what they feel is a safe environment - but that's a risky situation to be in," she well as handing out food and supplies, Dani and her colleague have also given out a month they're joined by sexual health nurses for the evening. On this occasion they've helped one woman get emergency accommodation for the night and sent emails to "many different professionals" to help others. Night-time 'most risky' "We've got a GP coming in to the centre tomorrow so we were able to get four women to agree to come in and see the GP who don't currently access medical support - having that place of safety and that little prompt tonight has really helped," said said it's difficult leaving the women she comes into contact with."In the evening, through the night-time, that's when women are at risk of violence - whether that's physical or sexual - because they're so vulnerable.""The risks can women can be put into, and the risks that come to them when they're asleep - they're scared," she said.
CTV News
09-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Lack of funding forcing women's centre to end outreach program
The sign outside the West Central Women's Resource Centre is pictured on July 9, 2025. (Glenn Pismenny/CTV News) A women's drop-in centre, located in Winnipeg's West End, will soon close its outreach program due to a drop in government funding. On Tuesday, the West Central Women's Resource Centre (WCWRC) announced that Sunday will be the final day for its outreach team—a service that sees staff members travel by van to check on the wellness of community members, with a focus on those experiencing homelessness. Lori English, WCWRC executive director, added that its outreach team provides a specialized service as it's specifically focused on women and gender-diverse people. '(It's) a loss of direct connection and support on a day-to-day basis for the folks that we serve,' she said. 'Often, particularly, women and gender-diverse people face incredible barriers to accessing housing and the loss of an outreach van like ours…it means that we risk potentially severing that critical tie that leads them to permanent and stable housing.' The WCWRC said this change comes after the province announced earlier this year that all outreach services would now be funded by the City of Winnipeg. It noted that the city provided funding to three outreach teams last year. However, this funding was not renewed as the city gave its sole outreach contract to Main Street Project. (HYPERLINK) The WCWRC said giving the contract to Main Street Project was the correct choice but added the demand for service is much greater than one team can provide. 'I think what we need to recognize is the needs in the community are very high,' English said. 'And expecting one outreach team to provide service across a city the size of Winnipeg is an enormous task, and it's not currently being properly resourced.' CTV News reached out to the City of Winnipeg and Province of Manitoba for comment. -With files from CTV's Glenn Pismenny
BBC News
09-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
New accommodation to support homeless women in York, charity says
A centre to support women who have experienced homelessness and other "unmet needs" including domestic abuse and exploitation has been established in Changing Lives said the women-only accommodation comprises of two properties, one with three bedrooms and the other with well as offering residents a safe space, they will also benefit from support in areas such as budgeting, education and housing, the charity Sunter, director of development, said mixed-gender accommodation facilities often "don't work for women", adding that some "don't feel safe" when using them. "We see a lot that women can be adversely affected by various issues from women's health, child removal, sexual exploitation, stigma," she said."Particularly in York, we see women leaving the criminal justice system and finding safe accommodation to move on to and not returning to old lifestyles can be problematic."She added that there was a "huge demand nationally" for gender specific accommodation. The properties are closely linked with the charity's existing women's wellness centre in York, enabling residents to access a GP running a women's clinic, therapeutic groups, recovery services and advice on benefits and tenancies."In mainstream services where there's mixed genders, women are often expected to attend to get the support they need, but within that, they end up bumping into old acquaintances and often the perpetrators of abuse," she service has been designed in collaboration with women who have used similar Sunter said it aimed to work with women to help them "find ways forward" and was not about making them "repeat their story" or judging them on it."It's about empowering the women as well, so not necessarily making decisions for people, but empowering them to make the best decision for them."Referrals to the accommodation can be made through City of York Council, the probation service, or individual women aged 18 or over who find themselves homeless or at risk of homelessness. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Yahoo
Safe space for women to open in Scarborough to provide vital support
A new safe space for women is being launched to offer specialist support in Scarborough. The Women's Centre will officially open later this month, providing a women-only environment for those in Scarborough and nearby coastal areas. It aims to support women with multiple unmet needs, those who have experienced trauma, and those at risk of involvement with the criminal justice system. Jo Coles, deputy mayor for policing, fire and crime, said: "The Mayor and I are determined to tackle the levels of violence against women and girls in our region and to deliver safe places for all. "This new Women's Centre will deliver a step change in the support available to women in Scarborough and the surrounding area." Modelled on the successful York Women's Centre, the new facility will offer one-to-one and group support in a holistic, trauma-informed setting. It will also provide practical amenities including a kitchen, bathroom, and laundry facilities.
BBC News
03-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
New 'one-stop' women's support centre to open in Scarborough
A new support hub offering help to vulnerable or at-risk women in North Yorkshire is due to open later this Women's Centre, in Scarborough, will provide a "calm, safe, welcoming space" for users to access a variety of services, including drug and alcohol support as well as housing, health and financial project will be funded by York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA) and run by charity Changing Yorkshire's Deputy Mayor for policing, fire and crime Jo Coles said she hoped the centre would deliver "a transformative place for women in Scarborough". Ms Coles said: "We know women often struggle to access some mainstream services so this will be a trauma-informed place, people will be inclusive [and] it will enable women to access services on their own particular, the services available aim to improve outcomes for women who may be indirectly or directly involved, or at risk of involvement, with the criminal justice system or have other unmet centre will be the second site located in North Yorkshire with Changing Lives already running the Women's Wellness Centre in York. Faye Sunter, director of development at Changing Lives said: "I think Scarborough does face some high levels of deprivation and in many areas there's a lack of single-sex provision for women. "Women are often disproportionately affected by things like child removal, sexual exploitation, domestic abuse and there's often barriers to engaging with mainstream services."We're hoping to work in partnership with a number of organisations to become a one-stop shop."Located centrally, the centre does not have accommodation, but includes a kitchen, bathroom and laundry facilities, as well as one-to-one and group Coles added that the provision was part of a wider drive with York and North Yorkshire mayor David Skaith "to deliver safe spaces for everyone in our region"."This is a women's centre, but the mayor is also championing men's mental health which we know is an important factor in keeping women and girls safe as well," she added."This particular centre will be a transformative place for women in Scarborough." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
