SWWOP (Sheffield Working Women's Opportunities Project)

Sheffield Working Women’s Opportunities Project Ltd (SWWOP Ltd) is a small Voluntary Sector Project, Registered Charity and Company limited by
Guarantee.

We have been in existence since 1992 addressing the complex
needs of women working as street sex workers in Sheffield. SWWOP have
close working partnerships with Genitourinary Medicine Clinic, Turning Point Community Drugs Team, Jessops Specialist Midwives and Action Housing as well as strong links with many other voluntary and statutory agencies in Sheffield. We strive to provide a service to all women working as street sex workers in Sheffield, without discrimination and are committed to supporting and empowering this vulnerable group. This does not include the promotion, control or reduction of prostitution as a goal; we see our role as emphasising the positives of women’s characters, i.e. the strength and resourcefulness they possess that enable them to do their jobs. This approach also includes highlighting the positives in their lives generally.

SWWOP provides evening street based outreach sessions addressing not only the sexual health needs of women working as street sex workers, but covering a wide range of health and social welfare issues. This is achieved by driving to the locations where women work, in our most valuable asset, ‘the Johnny van’ (as the women call it). This has been adapted to enable women to participate in-group discussions or whenever possible to have one to one contact with workers who provide amongst other things condoms, tea/coffee, biscuits, TLC etc. Advocacy and support is offered as and when needed by the service users.
Condoms are one of our other most important resources, not only to be able to provide them free to the women for their protection, but also as something practical to offer new contacts, and as a way of introducing ourselves and our service.
Outreach work has given insights into factors that make it difficult for women to attend mainstream services, and the aim of our partnerships is to make these services more accessible to the women by booking appointments on request, and by providing a familiar personal link.