Thank you to all our supporters who gave to the Big Give Fundraiser
Your donations to the Big Give Women and Girls Campaign totalled an amazing £10,521 which have helped us run the new women's hub in Winton providing emergency and on-going support, clothing and toiletries and mental health support sessions such as art, mindfulness, yoga and relaxation.
Sessions are attended by up to 4 women in small safe groups. All women have rated the facilities and sessions as 10 out of 10.
"A female only space means I can feel safe and relaxed as I am a victim of male violence"
We have also been able to highlight the issues facing women on BBC South Today and with our Women in Criminal justice event at Bournemouth University in March. The evening was a huge success.
Save the date
We are pleased to announce we will be running a further event in Alton, Hampshire on 7th September starting at 6pm with a drinks reception. The evening will be hosted by our Patron, Kate Adie, CBE DL. The focus of the event is Women’s prisons: The damage done to families and children and we are delighted to announce that Paula Harriott, Head of Prisoner Involvement at the Prison Reform Trust along with her daughter will be answering questions regarding their own lived experience.
Tickets cost £25 and are available on our website or by clicking here
The event builds on our recent BBC South Today interview discussing the distress that families and children of prisoners endure to visit loved ones in prison.
Sara and Matt are running the London Marathon to support Footprints
On 2nd October 2022 we will be lucky enough to have two runners in the London Marathon who have chosen to support our work. Matt and Sara, our development manager, pictured above right with Cathie our women's support worker. You can support them and read more about the reason's that Sara has chosen to support Footprints here.
Update on our work over the last year
"I will always be grateful for the time and effort yourself and Footprints gave me as without your help at the start of my journey I don't think I would be in the position I am in now. Keep up the good work"
Footprints received 281 referrals for support in 2021-22. 141 identified as female, 131 identified as male and 9 identified as other genders. 168 referrals were for people returning to Dorset and 113 were returning to Hampshire.
Our approach is based on desistance research which states that in order to stop committing crime, people need to develop self-belief, a new self-identity and feel part of a safe place/community. Our mentors and staff achieve this by helping people develop new links to the community though work, volunteering or developing new hobbies or sports, engaging them with additional local support and acting as positive role models. We also help people in practical way such as completing forms for bank accounts, benefits, job applications, accompanying them to appointments, engaging them with specialist local support and advocating for them with statutory or other services when necessary.
"I am really grateful for the work of Footprints; you guys have done more to help me than anyone else has. I sometimes feel like I am being set up to fail. You guys don’t judge me and have done loads to help me, more than anyone else".
Last year 38% of people enrolled on our ESF employment course in Dorset returned to work and we have now expanded this support to Hampshire participants as part of the ESF & Solent LEP Supporting Employment scheme.
Our work in approved premises continues to expand and we are now offering basic cookery classes, NVQ Level 2 Food Hygiene training, and ESF employment support and mental health drop-ins, funded as part of the NHS No Wrong Door scheme addressing health inequalities in Hampshire.
We like other charities continue to see increasing needs around mental health. Last year 1 in 3 people requested support with their mental health, and almost 1 in 5 people requesting help with either housing, money or substance abuse. We expect to see demand for help increase in the next few months as the cost of living crisis worsens but we can only tackle these difficulties with your continued support.
