The Archdiocese aims to spotlight a charity in need of support every week.

Anawim’s Services

• Anawim women’s centre provides essential services for over 1000 women with multiple and complex needs per year.
• Anawim’s holistic approach enables specialist caseworkers to provide a tailored package of support for each and every woman, through vital services in mental health, sexual violence, domestic violence, financial advice, family support, multiple and complex needs, prison in-reach support and involvement with the criminal justice system.
• Women referred from external agencies or self-referred are assigned a caseworker for 1-1 support and enrolled in counselling and suitable courses to address their needs. When a woman accesses Anawim’s drop in facility she is provided access to food, clothing and a hot shower if needed, emotional support in crisis, or practical advice around homelessness, access to benefits, abusive relationships and many other complex issues.
• Anawim’s onsite residential unit, Dawn House, offers 6 beds for women who have recently been released from prison and are transitioning back into the community.

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Anawim’s Activity during Coronavirus 

The current situation with Covid-19 and government restrictions have not only impacted Anawim’s service delivery but also further compounded the needs of vulnerable women. Domestic violence, poor mental health, unemployment and financial issues are presenting for more women and increasing for those women who were struggling prior to the outbreak.

The current situation will significantly affect women, in particular women with children, on low-pay, or women trapped at home with poor mental health or abusive partners. The majority of NHS and care staff are women, and on top of this strain the closing of schools and additional family illness will add huge pressures to women’s existing unpaid caring responsibilities. 

Anawim caseworkers have transitioned from face to face meetings to a telephone support system. Caseworkers are also able to signpost women to other services which are still operating in the community, and support women to contact and liaise with agencies.

Volunteer counsellors are supporting women through phone calls. Drop in workers are making outbound general welfare calls to women who need support due to poor mental health or stuck in isolation and unable to access the centre.

For as long as we can, as per government guidance, our Balsall Heath drop in will be open for vulnerable women to access a safe space (in a safe way for both women and staff through social distancing). 

Isolation Wellbeing Packs are being put together and taken into prison as well as sent out to women in the community. These include mental health advice, meditation techniques, colouring activities and for women in the community we have included colouring pencils and little gifts such as candles and hand creams.

So far 50 packs have been sent into prison and more than 30 into the wider community. This will continue for as long as possible. Staff will deliver essential items to women who are self-isolating for two weeks. These include books, toiletries, word searches, sanitary products, clothes and food

Through Anawim’s ongoing work during this crisis:

Women experiencing/ at risk of homelessness, poor mental health, domestic abuse, sexual exploitation, substance misuse issues, poverty, unemployment and financial issues (plus other complex issues) will have access to a safe space, food parcels, toiletries, sanitary products and a shower if necessary through our drop in facility at our women’s centre in Balsall Heath.

Women with multiple and complex needs will have access to 1-1 caseworker support and counselling, tailored to their specific needs, through a phone based support system. This will help to combat loneliness and isolation, improving mental wellbeing and reducing the likelihood of substance abuse, self-harm and suicide ideation.

By contacting our centre by telephone, women will have access to crisis advice around access to benefits, unemployment, housing and accessing food and medication through our specialised workers. This will help to improve women’s individual situations, help women to budget and manage debts, reduce likelihood of homelessness and reduce levels of anxiety and panic. 

Women stuck in abusive and/or violent relationships will receive practical guidance and emotional support from our specialist caseworkers, including support to access safer accommodation, report perpetrators to the police and guidance around how to protect themselves and their children during these unprecedented times. 

Female prisoners on lockdown (due to lack of prison staff) who are already at very high risk of self -harm will have mindfulness activities to distract from self-harming whilst in isolation in their cells, improving mental and physical wellbeing. In the event that low level/ pregnant female prisoners are released, our caseworkers’ support will be urgently needed with access to accommodation, benefits and with many more individual complex needs such as family support, mental health and substance abuse.

New service for sufferers of domestic abuse

In light of the rise in domestic violence, mental health issues and other complex needs, we have created a new service aimed at women who are not currently Anawim clients and may not be accessing any services.

Anawim’s Women Talking Together Helpline (0800 019 8818) is now open Monday – Friday 10am – 6pm, for all women who are feeling unsure and worried about how the coronavirus outbreak is affecting their mental health, relationships and families, finances and changes to working life, housing issues or anything else.

If they are concerned about changes to their relationship or worried about their wellbeing around other people in their homes, we are offering confidential and non-judgemental support. Anawim’s female specialist workers are available to discuss any or all of their worries. Our live chat support service is also accessible via Anawim’s website at www.anawim.co.uk.

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