I began volunteering for The Nelson Trust Women’s Centre in 2015. As a local minister with a heart for women who sex work on the streets, some of whom I knew from a previous role, I had been doing some work with them already, alongside exploring opportunities for partnership working.
In a conversation with the, then, manager of Homeless Health Care I was told that The Nelson Trust Women’s Centre were holding a meeting with other professionals to look at this very issue, and I was invited along.
That was the start of 10 years of voluntary work, during which I committed one evening a week to street outreach. As time went on, I was able to offer chaplaincy to the women’s centre staff, and to ad hoc pieces of work with women, such as during times of bereavement.
During these years I have built trusting relationships with many of the women. It is a great privilege to be able to give these women hope for the future. Although, sadly, I have recently had to give up evening outreach, I am still able to make contact with some of the women during the day, simply because of the trusting relationships that have been built up over the years.
It gives me great joy to see how many staff have progressed in their careers with The Nelson Trust over these years.
