Outreach

Our clients’ needs have led Spires Streetlink to develop a holistic, consistent outreach service. The service is delivered from a specially adapted outreach van which operates across South London. It is run by our all-female staff and volunteer team.

Outreach operating times

Our outreach team operates on the following days:
•    Monday – 5am-8am and 9.30pm-1.30am
•    Thursday – 9.30pm-1.30am
•    Friday –  9.30pm-1.30am

Watch a short video about the work that Spires Streetlink does

The women we meet on outreach often have many complex problems. These can include:

• drug and alcohol abuse (95% of Spires Streetlink women are addicted to alcohol and/or Class A drugs, primarily crack cocaine)
• homelessness (insecure/unstable accommodation, living in hostels, facing eviction)
• poor health (sexual, physical and emotional health)
• low or no income (apart from that earned by sex work)
• domestic violence, abuse, sexual abuse (either current or past abuse)
• in need of welfare, benefits and legal advice
• social exclusion and stigma (sex-working women are one of the most marginalised and excluded groups)
• low self-esteem
• limited or no work skills
• offending behaviour (facing prison or just released from prison)
• children that have been taken into care

We aim to engage with sex workers around their issues. Our team offers signposting and referral to a wide range of partner agencies, including drug and alcohol treatment, specialist counselling, and rape crisis centres

We also distribute condoms, STI kits and information packs.