We are thrilled to have been selected for an amazing fundraising opportunity – The Big Give Kind2Mind.
Our appeal couldn’t be more important. Thanks to some generous funders, we are well on the way to being able to purchase a much needed second van for MASH.
Through The Big Give Kind2Mind, you can help us raise the final £10,000 we need to buy the vehicle and take MASH’s support out to more women who need it in Greater Manchester.
Please save the date – at midday on 14th May 2024 our special fundraising link will go live here.
Donations via this link will be doubled! And all funds raised will go towards the purchase of MASH’s second outreach van.
Why do we need a new van?
The current MASH van is taken out into Manchester city centre, offering a place of safety, solace and support for women who are sex working on the streets late at night.
There are currently women sex working in other areas of Greater Manchester who don’t have access to this sort of support.
Over the past year we’ve been running pilot schemes in other Boroughs of Greater Manchester. Women have been bowled over by the support on offer saying;
“Really? This is for us!” and “This is amazing. I can’t believe you can provide me with food and condoms, we’ve never had anything like this before.”
Our dream is to get a second MASH van so we can regularly provide MASH’s non-judgemental support to women in others parts of Greater Manchester.
Please consider chipping in through our Big Give appeal (14th-28th May) so we can extend this vital service.
How do women describe the MASH van?
“A lifeline”
“You feel safer when it’s about”
“For a while, MASH were the only people who knew whether I was dead or alive”
“Us girls would have nothing if it wasn’t for MASH”
O que é a carrinha MASH?
- It’s warm – a safe place to step onto and speak to someone in confidence
- Women can access free condoms, personal attack alarms, food and drink, essentials like gloves, hats, clothing and toiletries
- Women tell us that when the van is driving around the beat areas, they feel safer
- Many women step onto the van and disclose that they have been assaulted or raped whilst working so the team can offer immediate emotional and practical support
Why is it so important?
Women tell us the MASH van is a ‘lifeline’ and that they wouldn’t have anywhere to turn to without it.
Other services are closed late at night and the van means we can take our expert MASH support to where women are, rather than requiring them to come to us.
It’s also easy to access practical things like condoms and needle exchange. Or to speak to someone they can trust at MASH. It’s a confidential and non-judgemental service.
Often MASH workers are the first people a woman will see and speak to after being attacked. One woman told us;
“When I saw the van I waved for it to stop. I had got on quite a few times before and even though I was unsure at first, I know the ladies now and I feel I can trust them.
“I was still so shaken up and I told them that the previous night I’d been raped.
“They listened to me and believed me. They let me know that I could report it if I wanted to and that I could still fill out a dodgy punter report to help warn other women.
“It’s awful out there at the moment. Knowing the MASH van is out there just helps us to feel a little bit safer and that there’s someone who will believe us and put our safety first.”
Thank you for your support!
