One25 Annual Report 2015

Annual Report 2014/15

“I couldn’t have done this without you. You’ve helped me with everything; you’ve put all the pieces together for me.” Leona

One25 The Grosvenor Centre, 138A Grosvenor Road, Bristol BS2 8YA tel: 0117 909 8832 fax: 0117 941 2382 email: office@one25.org.uk online: www.one25.org.uk facebook.com/one25charity

@one25charity

youtube.com/one25tv

“Yeah, this place is the boom; it’s inspirational, security, a safe house.”

Charlotte Rose

Welcome The last year has brought us more success than ever, as we build on the experience of the past 20 years! We have lots to celebrate, but continue to learn new ways to meet new challenges.

This year we’ve supported more women than ever before to break free from the chains of drug addiction and sex work - a fantastic achievement for every one of them. We are with them all the way. If their steps falter we continue to provide love, support and encouragement to try again.

The work of our staff and volunteers is constantly recognised and valued. After last year’s Queen’s Award, this summer our inspirational CEO, Gill, was awarded the Mary McGinty MBE for her work with vulnerable women. We recently won the Lloyds Bank Foundation Outstanding Impact Award for the South West and now go forward to the national awards.

Earlier this year we received a generous gift of funds to purchase 140 Grosvenor Road, to be named Mariquita House. This gift has been a real answer to our prayers.

Hearty thanks to everyone for their continued support – financial, time, skills, resources, prayers – thank you for believing in what we do and making it all possible.

Melanie said: “I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for One25. They got me through many dark times. I love you all, you are angels from above.”

Mary McGinty, Chair of Trustees

55

women stopped street sex working

A night on the van As I prepared for the van shift I thought of the women on my caseload, isolated from services and in need of support. I hoped we’d see them.

The first we saw was Sarah, whom I’ve supported for 5 years. Thin, with bruises on her arms and face, Sarah broke down and cried when she saw me. She was facing daily physical and emotional abuse from her partner. I assured Sarah that this treatment wasn’t ok, that support was available. She declined emergency safe accommodation, explaining she needed to work first. We promised to call her on her mobile before the end of our shift.

Then Mandy flagged down the van. She was out working and scared – we provided her with Ugly Mug information, an alarm and advice about safety. She said it was her birthday soon – I made a note to

On the road

65

arrange a birthday cake in the drop-in!

Hannah and Tracy were strangers to Bristol, both frightened and unsure. We explained the support One25 could offer and gave them leaflets about our drop-in.

Both were grateful and relieved: “it means so much knowing someone cares.” These were just a few of the women we support.

We were unable to contact Sarah again that night. But she, like many other women on the streets, knows that One25 is there, offering support and the possibility of a different way.

Hazel Renouf, Criminal Justice Caseworker

Condom packs

Ugly Mugs improve safety

women were supported after an attack

Volunteering at One25 One25 Volunteer Manager, Caroline, has been in post since March 2015. These are her first impressions.

Volunteers are the backbone of One25. We currently have 120 volunteers, including our trustees. Between them they have a huge amount of life experience and a wealth of knowledge.

Since joining the team I have been involved in updating the induction and training process for the volunteers. I arrange speakers to facilitate specialised learning and there are regular peer support sessions. The volunteers are enormously supportive to each other. Engaging with women whose lives may be in chaos is not always easy, and volunteers learn together by discussing scenarios and coming up with practical ideas.

Vital food bags

More than half our volunteers are involved in outreach. They go out in our van at night offering food bags, personal alarms, condoms and information about further support. This may be our first contact with the women in most need.

We also have 40 drop-in volunteers who offer a listening ear and who signpost the women to further support. Together with our clothes-sorting, van re-stocking, cooking, office and fundraising volunteers, they provide invaluable support to One25 and we are grateful for the time, skill and dedication they offer.

Caroline McAleese, Volunteer Manager

Building skills

Creative activities

“You’re a life saver for us girls, just ten minutes in the warm means everything.” Ivy

Special days at ouR drop-in December 14 Christmas Dinner

CEO cooks feast

Our Annual Christmas Dinner was a huge success with 35 guests attending! We enjoyed a scrumptious 3-course dinner cooked by Gill and had lots of fun and great Christmas pressies. Chloe summed it up perfectly: “Amazing”.

February 15 Valentine’s Day We had our Valentine’s Celebrations. Everyone made cards, decorated gorgeous cupcakes and took away Valentine goodie bags.

Cakey treats

“One25 is always there for me. A family when I need help. A good place to come when I need to escape from the daily routine.” Naomi

March 15 International Women’s Day We celebrated International Women’s Day and created a banner celebrating iconic women who changed the world.

Our founder Val Jeal was our choice for the centre piece!

Val Jeal

May 15 One25’s 20th Birthday

Party time!

We celebrated One25’s 20th Birthday with a lovely roast dinner provided by Barny from Square Food Foundation.

The women made a beautiful birthday banner and lots of birthday cards and Kate made an amazing 20th birthday cake for us all to enjoy.

July 15 Annual Summer Trip We went on our annual Summer Trip to Brean Sands Leisure Park. The weather was great and we all enjoyed a scrumptious picnic and scaring ourselves on the rides!

Summer fun

98

women received a warm welcome at drop-in

One day, two womeN Leila’s story Hazel and I collected Leila from Eastwood Park at 8:45am. We’d been told that housing had been arranged. We arrived at the Council offices at 9.30 and at 11.30 we were still waiting. Leila had a probation appointment at 12 noon. We had to leave, with a promise of a phone call later. Leila was anxious – where would she sleep that night?

After her probation appointment we walked to One25 as Leila had no money, spare clothes or food. All she had from the prison was her bus fare to Bristol. She needed her medication but her meeting that day with a drugs support agency clashed with the Council’s appointment, which had now been rearranged. Leila has had three babies removed from her care. She needed contraceptive supplies and HIV medication.

Back with the Council, we were told they had no housing until the following day. Could Leila stay with family overnight? No – Leila grew up in care.

We persisted. Finally Leila was offered the crash pad at Jamaica Street - basically floor space. But it was somewhere to shelter that night.

r

ded shelte

Much-nee

In the past Leila has overdosed after release. She says she would never have coped, had One25 not collected her and seen her through all the stresses of that first day of “freedom.”

Jane Bowman, Recovery Caseworker

148

women were supported around housing

released from prison Lauren’s story When I saw Lauren walking out the gates of Eastwood Park she was beaming. Slightly wobbly but still beaming. For eight months we’d been meeting fortnightly in a tiny visitor’s room in the prison, going over an investigation with which I’m supporting her.

I’d seen a dramatic change in her over this period. There had been anxious moments, especially when we were waiting to hear whether she had been accepted into rehab.

Now she was ready to take the next step of her journey.

We drove to the rehab centre. Lauren was shaking and anxious, but the Admissions staff were so gentle and kind that she started to feel more relaxed and chatty. When the house manager, Beth, warmly greeted her, Lauren was overwhelmed but held it together really well. We had a tearful goodbye and arranged to meet again in a fortnight.

Two weeks later we sat in the sunny garden enjoying a coffee, laughing about how nice it was to see grass around us rather than prison walls. Lauren has a long way to go but is already making huge changes in her life and talking about her long-term plans.

Watch this space! Lauren is an inspiring woman who brings warmth, compassion and kindness to everyone she meets.

Moira Hutton, Independent Domestic and Sexual Violence Advisor

The next

chapter

“Without your love and support I would not be here today and this healing process would not be taking shape. You have given me hope and I’m so grateful.” Lauren

Community support 33 of our hardiest supporters left the comfort of their beds for the annual Sleep Out at Pip ‘n’ Jay church in February, raising over £10,000!

“It’s really nice to hear the stories from the women…You help them get off the streets and, when they have their children back, building careers and helping other women; it’s amazing. So you can’t really not do it when you hear Lorna sleeps out

stuff like that.” Lorna Stitchell, One25 supporter

Thornbury Baptist Church has for many years baked cakes for us, donated money, prayed and welcomed our speakers.

“Our support for One25 comes from the conviction that God loves people and calls us to love too.

One25 embodies this conviction.” Paul Ferguson, Thornbury Baptist Church

Thornb

ury Bap

128

tist Chu

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churches and community groups supported us

One25 was Bristol BT’s Charity of the Year 2015.

Among their brave feats were waxing their boss and jumping out of aeroplanes: “I’m scared of heights…it made me think about how scared the women whom you help must be on a daily basis and how brave they all are. It made me want to face my fear of heights for them, jump for them, and raise money and awareness for them. Such a wonderful charity.”

Jackie Dodd, BT Bristol

Overcom

ing fear

Bristol Water helped us develop the pilot night drop-in this year, which won them the Association for Project Management’s South West challenge! They raised funds for us and even painted our premises – what superstars!

inting

Practical pa

“We have thoroughly enjoyed working on this project with One25 and meeting the inspirational people who work and volunteer for them.” Sophie Edwards, Bristol Water Support win

s award!

175

supporters raised money for us

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£46

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TO T

FINANCIAL SUMMARY

£301,000

£116,000

£2 42 0 ,0 0 Trusts and foundations Corporate donations

Other income

Casework support Drop-in centre

00 6,0

£

5,0

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£97,00

0

000

Night drop-in

£27

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, 43

£112,

Fundraising expenses

,00 £546 0 = AL

£1

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Donations to purchase 140

Numbers have been rounded to the nearest thousand pounds. For One25’s audited accounts for 2014/15 please see www.charitycommission.gov.uk.

The year ahead One25 takes every opportunity to increase learning and to use the learning to grow and develop the work of One25.

Being flexible and responsive to our service users’ needs is crucial. For instance, a four-month pilot of a night drop-in has now led us to pilot late-night Friday outreach on the streets - meeting women where they need us most.

We continue to monitor and evaluate our work carefully and learn from the results.

In this way we’ve learnt that, although we worked with fewer women last year, we supported them more intensively.

Fantastically, this resulted in a record number of women leaving street sex work!

We take opportunities to learn in partnership with others, ensuring the best possible support for women trapped in, or vulnerable to, street sex work. A good example is our new Assertive Contact and Engagement Service (ACE), delivered in partnership with St Mungo’s Broadway.

Gill Nowla

nd, CEO

We want our service users to be at the centre of our services and to have a say in what we do and how we do it. To ensure this, we plan to develop further opportunities for service user feedback and new roles.

Your support makes all of this possible and provides hope to the 150 women who are still out on the streets of Bristol.

Gill Nowland, CEO

“I strongly believe that, with the support of the One25 project, I can become that beautiful butterfly that’s within me just bursting to be free.” Lauren

DONATE online You can make a difference to vulnerable women’s lives.

Give hope to the 150 women still trapped in street sex work and security to those relying on us every day. £25 a month enables our criminal justice caseworker to visit lonely and isolated women in prison twice a month, giving them support and companionship when they need it most £12 gives a homeless woman all she needs for a safe, hot shower at our homely drop-in £5 a month feeds a hungry woman on the van and provides an umbrella for shelter against the cold rain

Please support One25 with a regular gift so that women can continue to find freedom from the streets. Thank you.

“Thank you for all those times when I was so hungry and you fed me. I’d come away well-fed and empowered so that I could make another day.” Holly

donation form I want to help vulnerable women in Bristol Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss

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per month

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Please pay this sum to: One25 A/c No. 20119560, sort code 60-83-01 Unity Trust bank plc, Nine Brindleyplace, Birmingham B1 2BR.

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By ticking the above box I confirm I have paid or will pay an amount of Income Tax and / or Capital Gains Tax for each tax year (6 April to 5 April) that is at least equal to the amount of tax that all the charities or Community Amateur Sports Clubs that I donate to will reclaim on my gifts for that tax year. I understand that other taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify. I understand the charity will reclaim 25p of tax on every £1 that I give on or after 6 April 2008.

Please contact us if you: Want to cancel this declaration / Change your name or home address / No longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains.

Return me to: One25, The Grosvenor Centre, 138a Grosvenor Road, St Paul’s, Bristol BS2 8YA.

our mission One25 reaches out to women trapped in or vulnerable to street sex work, supporting them to break free and build new lives away from violence, poverty and addiction.

One25 The Grosvenor Centre, 138A Grosvenor Road, Bristol BS2 8YA tel: 0117 909 8832 fax: 0117 941 2382 email: office@one25.org.uk online: www.one25.org.uk facebook.com/one25charity

@one25charity

youtube.com/one25tv

one25 Limited is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England. Reg. No. 3362644. It is registered as a charity.

Reg. No. 1062391. Registered office: The Grosvenor Centre, 138a Grosvenor Road, St. Pauls, Bristol BS2 8YA Please recycle when finished with. Design & Production: nicjonesdesign.com