Friday 10th October 2025 is this years’ World Homeless Day. President Carly and editors Emma and Laura are taking part in the wonderful One25's charity SleepOut event on the Friday night, spending one night outside to help raise vital funds for women who sleep out every night.

Just the one night sleeping outside is nothing in comparison to the hardships and adversities that face women who are homeless and street sex work. By taking part in the fundraising event, we hope to help raise awareness to the incredible work One25 does to help homeless women in Bristol and spread some compassion for those who have to face such circumstances, especially now with the turn of the seasons meaning longer and colder nights.

For us at TWSS, intersectional feminism is at the core of what we do, meaning this is a cause that is of the utmost importance to us. We want to urge everyone to consider why many women who are homeless often go unnoticed. As described by One25:

"Homelessness for women can look different. It can be invisible. You may never see the women we support sleeping rough or lining up at night shelters. Their homelessness is hidden. It is so hidden that there are 23 times more women rough sleeping than the government counts. 15 women were recorded by the 2024 Government Rough Sleeping snapshot, whereas 349 were identified by Bristol’s first women’s census 2024. This is because these women experience a restless and relentless form of homelessness. Getting into cars. Going from house to house. Night after night of moving and never stopping."

Furthermore, Stonewall research suggests that almost one in five LGBTQ+ people have experienced homelessness at some point in their lives, with rates even higher amongst trans people with 25% having experienced homelessness at some point. According to akt, 77% of LGBTQ+ young people gave, "family rejection, abuse or being asked to leave home" as a cause of their homelessness.

One25 offers vital support for women in Bristol who are experiencing homelessness. In their words:

- "Our night outreach van is a lifeline for nearly 125 women still trapped on Bristol’s streets. It’s often their vital first step towards safety and independence. Outreach teams meet women’s basic needs by providing nutritious food, First Aid, warm clothing, condoms, safety alarms and harm reduction kits for drug use. The service offers the chance to talk and get advice in a safe space. It encourages women to get more in-depth support by visiting our health hub or seeing a specialist caseworker. The life-controlling cycle of selling sex to buy and take drugs (for themselves and often for a coercive partner) stops women taking care of their basic needs. They are acutely malnourished and many are so ill that they should be hospitalised. Outreach teams also give emergency help in a crisis, for example when a woman has been attacked. In these cases highly-trained volunteers can support a woman to give details of the attack which can then be used to warn other women (Ugly Mugs)."

- "Our specialist caseworkers offer intensive one-to-one care: from mental health support to finding somewhere safe to live. They help women take ownership of their lives, identify the changes they want to make and then achieve these goals. They first assess each woman’s immediate needs – such as securing a safe place to live – and then meet regularly to work on achieving their longer-term goals: rehabilitation from drugs, freedom from the streets or rebuilding relationships with safe family members."

- "Our health hub supports women to access a range of healthcare services, so women can get the flexible, sensitive support they need. Three afternoons a week, they can see a specialist nurse, sexual health nurse, and GP. Women can also access essentials such as sanitary products, condoms, alarms, takeaway food bags, and clothing."

Donations raised actively support the crucial work One25 does in a number of ways. To help give you an idea of what this could look like:

- £11 could stock the outreach van with food and drinks for a night.

- £12 could provide food safety training for a volunteer cook so they can prepare delicious hot meals for women at the health hub.

- £30 could provide casework support to a woman as she makes a report about a violent perpetrator to help keep other women safe.

- £32 could provide company and care for a woman in hospital, ensuring she doesn’t have to face illness alone.

- £50 could provide food and drinks in the health hub for a day, offering nourishment to women who may not otherwise eat.

- £80 could stock the outreach van with food and drinks for a week, providing vital nourishment and comfort for women on cold nights.

- £145 could run and maintain the outreach van for a week, offering a vital lifeline to women street sex-working in Bristol.

We know money is likely tight at the moment with the cost of living crisis and many of you being students, but any donations you are able to give - even a few pounds - helps add up overall towards bigger goals!

Thank you so much for your support. :)

Love,

Carly, Emma & Laura

TWSS Magazine Team

xxx

PS. If you or anyone you know is affected by this issue, please reach out. More information on how to contact One25 if you are in need of support can be found here: https://one25.org.uk/contact-us/do-you-need-support/