Support to red district workers

[Winebomb]

Posted this on feminism chat, but will get more traffic here I suppose! My conscious is killing me please help! (It's long!)

So I may be really bonkers, but I have been watching the BBC documentary throughout about the women who work in the only legalised red light district in the uk.

I live and work in this city, but miles away from where it is, and just didn't have a clue it was going on.

When I say miles it's about 12 miles away, I live in the affluent part of the city, and I feel totally ashamed and stupid that I didn't know this was happening, I am now getting restless legs knowing these women are on the streets paying for their drug habit, putting drugs before food, starving and freezing cold.

It's just taking only my own personal safety interests (not the girls but the punters) to go down there and take some old coats, jumpers (still fashionable, but I got fat) and some hot food.

Do you think I would be totally bonkers just to drive down there and hand out hot drinks, soups, a few sandwiches and some warm clothes? And put my own personal safety aside. There is literally no charities that do this.

On a side note I am so fucking cross that my council have set up a red light zone but other than police controls every now and then, nothing else is happening to help these women.

why not consult with local sex worker advocacy groups to discove the best way to support these sex workers? they may not want soup and warm coats...

Agree with the other poster that there are likely to be charities already engaging with the women that work there who are aware of any risks, triggers, issues & who can tell you what's needed.

Watching the programme I don't think there is anyone that just helps them, there is lots of groups to help them get off drugs, but nothing to help these women just live, if that makes sense?

Most of these women are going without just any food, or the basics. it's so god damn sad and horrible.

I think what you want to do is absolutely lovely. Take the car, maybe take a friend, keep stuff in the car, get out, approach a few workers ask if they're interested or if not what if any support would they like.
I watched this series too, it is devastating, especially after probs like the twatty Billy whatever she was called, piper? Where she had lots of paid sex and hilarious anecdotes and delicious lingerie.
It's a fucking hideous dirty frightening and soul destroying life working on the streets. I have known girls/women who've been prostitutes in brothels not street walkers and I've known some of the guys who pimp them out. It's horrible, the blokes are nasty and the girls are smacked or cracked up to get through it and often don't even get to keep the money.
Beaten and abused by customers, a recent episode I think of the same prog showed girls having sex for a fiver. Can you imagine?!
Add into that sex trafficked women and underage girls and it's a seedy dark world.
What you want to do is treat them like humans and I commend you and thank you for having a heart and empathy. Ask around, test the waters.

I would be very surprised if there are no agencies or charities doing outreach. The Salvation Army do a lot of trafficking/sex work outreach as do smaller charities.
And whilst I'm sure you feel you want to do something, the girls may not want a hot meal or food whilst they are a)working b) rattling. Are you prepared for them to think you're a patronising bitch? Or a soft touch they can rinse? Are you going down every week at the same time so they know they can rely on you? Addiction abuse and sex work are really difficult to handle empathetically, constructively and with good boundaries that's why outreach workers have training and schemes structured and reliable.
I'm sorry OP, whilst I think you are very moved by the documentary you really would be "blundering" about if you turn up randomly in your car. You really don't have the skills as an individual to pull this off, but do look into it professional organisations you can link in to.

Where do you stay?

Lots of cities have red light districts.

I'm from Glasgow and there's a well known red light district up here.

I actually feel really neutral on the subject. As long as they're well looked after. It's an old profession and unlikely to stop any time soon

Posted too soon. I would not be showing up in the Blythswood district mind you.

Do it. What a lovely idea. You are a kind and caring person

Its a bit of a stereotype to assume that sex workers are doing it to fund a drug habit. Some will be doing it so they can buy food.

Did anyone see the BBC report this week about the young woman who applied for UC and still had no money EIGHT MONTHS later.

Imagine it replicated several times over.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3037162-Thinking-Universal-Credit-will-make-a-lot-of-women-stay-in-bad-relationships-and-consider-sex-work

"Most of these women are going without just any food, or the basics. it's so god damn sad and horrible."

That is the nature of addiction.

Op how much experience do you have in drug addiction and prostitution/chaotic lifestyles?

"Do it"

If the OP did that in the sex workers bit in my city, she would end up with her face smashed in and her car taken off her,that is really dangerous advice.

OP there will be charities working with them, it won't just be about drugs, but health/contraception etc.

charities and projects engaging with sex workers across the uk listed here: www.uknswp.org - some of them need volunteers - for example mash.org.uk - Manchester Action on Street Health

I would strongly advise against this, you obviously mean well but it would be more constructive to support local charities and agencies who are trained and experienced in supporting chaotic sex workers.

Pecanpuff exactly - you phrased it much better than I could

There is a charity - They go out twice weekly and offer food and so on. They do a great job.

I know of the city you are on about: I live there too.

If you were a sex worker who needed to make £xxx tonight to pay for (whatever), you would absolutely not want someone bothering you with soup(!!!) and a sodding warm coat because they'd just seen a documentary revealing that there is prostitution in urban areas.

CHRIST.

Op you say there are no charities that do this but I find that hard to believe. I live in a town not a city & can think of four charities here that run safe, well thought out support to street workers. PLEASE please align yourself with an existing organisation or else you'll cause more problems than you solve which would be selfish! Yes, charity work can be selfish if your urge to "do" overrides waiting and finding out what is ACTUALLY needed!

Do you think I would be totally bonkers just to drive down there and hand out hot drinks, soups, a few sandwiches and some warm clothes?

Yes and a bit gushy. It's less interesting but just give to a local charity. I'm not keen on the religious side of The Salvation Army but they are an amazing charity.

I think your clearly very well meaning op

Please don't do this. I don't think it will come across well at all.

Basis is an organisation working with sex workers in Leeds. They welcome donations.

That is true HelenaDove but I remember the Ipswich murders and every single one of the victims was a heroin addict. So I think the majority of the street workers do have a habit (but not all sex workers), which you probably almost have to to be able to get through that. Street work is at the bottom of the pile of sex work and you probably have to be extremely desperate to do that over other types (like dancing, webcam, chatlines etc). It's so extremely unsafe.

I remember a conversation that I had with a twatty colleague who thinks sex-work is 'empowering' for women, that there are no issues with consent and coercion and everyone is happy. He thinks the same about porn (which he admits freely to watching). He also claims to be a male feminist. Yeah, good luck with that one, dude.

I’m not far away either OP. I’ve been watching and thinking exactly the same as you. I felt like driving up and giving them some money last time I watched, just so they didn’t have to work that night.

There’s one woman in particular who seems so genuine and wise. I see similarities between her and me, you’re only one step away from disaster.

You really have the best of intentions, but there absolutely will be advocacy charities involved.

Im in a working town with a redlight district, some ladies commute in as they want their working life away, others are well known, all of them know the outreach ladies and the safety van. This took YEARS to build that trust.

A bigger problem IMO is the off street sex work, on street is brutal, off street has sex slavery and is far more pervasive.

If you want to help, pay attention to support services the shelters (homeless shelters are normally mixed), look into being a magistrate, pressure the government over UC, housing and cuts to local policing and community safety partnerships.

When the economic crises hit, this was all predictable - those on the tentative edge of society, would be forced off a cliff - when your looking at a survival sex scenario, true choice has been taken away - it will take a collective effort to make a difference.

Blog here from Basis www.thewhoresofyore.com/basis-blog/the-bbcs-exploitation-of-leeds-sex-workers about the damage that BBC doc has done, they're not keen on Good Samaritans turning up.