18 Years of Bringing Love Hope and Freedom

In June 2002 A Way Out Charity was formed.  18 years on the organisation has come of age.  The charity has developed and matured and, under the current situation of CV19, this maturity has provided a strong and sturdy base upon which to ensure that the families, young people, and women who rely on our services have continued to receive support.  

A Way Out is an organisation with its feet planted firmly in the North East; operating  ‘hands on’  at ground level supporting the needs of some of  Tees Valley’s most vulnerable people, and working hand in hand with partner organisations, agencies and funders.  A Way Out ensures that those supported by the organisation have a voice which is heard locally and nationally, voices which are listened to intently in order to essentially shape and focus delivery of A Way Out services.  A Way Out has eyes scanning horizons to ensure that the future of those we support is a future of sustainable hope.  A Way Out is an organisation with a heart of compassion for those we support and a heart of thankfulness for those who support the organisation.

In 18 years the body of A Way Out has grown from infancy to an organisation incorporating 8 service areas supporting and empowering young people, families and vulnerable women and girls; women in custody, in prison and on release and supporting women who are finding the courage to disclose historic and current sexual exploitation.  A Way Out is actively working in collaboration to influence and shape guidance and policy at a local and national level.

A Way Out is committed to building upon the grounding of these 18 years and would like to express grateful thanks to those who have nurtured and supported the organisation in so many different ways.

For more information please go to www.awayout.co.uk, or contact 01642 655071, info@awayout.co.uk.

Standing...

A Way Out is renowned for standing beside vulnerable women, young people and families in Teesside, aiming to transform lives through an approach based on the non-judgmental and unconditional love which is at the heart of the Christian ethos of the organisation.

Pre-lockdown, standing beside our clients as they access our support and the services of our partner agencies was what we did – standing beside them for the long haul… over the past months A Way Out has quickly adapted to conditions which have made standing beside those in crisis difficult and unsafe.

Unable to stand beside the vulnerable, our staff have risen to the challenge to stand with clients in the face of increased hardship and critical need, providing emotional support, safety planning and responding to those in crisis. 

A Way Out’s staff have stood with women as they speak on the phone, hearing from women living in fear of violent and exploitative situations.  A Way Out staff have stood with these women, holding them on the phone, working with police, mental health, housing and other partner agencies to support these women to safety… and as they are held on the phone… they have also been held in prayers and thoughts by those who support the organisation.

A Way Out has also delivered around crisis 400 food parcels and activity packs across Teesside… thanks to the donations from supporters who have stood with A Way Out during this crisis. 

Embracing technology has also enabled A Way Out’s youth team to stand with Y6 pupils on a digital platform and provide on-line 1:1 support to those anxious about transitioning to Secondary school,

Would you like to stand with A Way Out? For further details email info@awayout.co.uk

Intensive Care

‘Intensive care’ is a term we are hearing daily.  It is an expression which may currently illicit feelings of fear and apprehension along with images of highly dedicated nursing staff, PPE, monitors and oxygen tubes.  These images appear daily alongside experience of heart-breaking losses and recovery victories.  In our homes many of us are caring intensively for ourselves and others as we stay home, care for loved ones and socially distance.

Like many local community groups, churches and charities, A Way Out has been maintaining care for the vulnerable under these highly restricting circumstances.  Daily A Way Out staff make contact via phone and texting; deliver food parcels/activity packs to relieve crisis during these extreme conditions.  Whilst employing this limited communication A Way Out has actually experienced an increase in client engagement.  This is a direct result of increase in needs related to compound complexities of mental health; issues of homelessness; and exploitation within the home and beyond.  Working with partner agencies A Way Out has continued to care intensively for vulnerable women, young people and families … and we are not the only ones…

Our supporters have also cared intensively providing support through donations – even thinking outside of the box whilst inside their homes - organising online fundraising events providing much needed financial support for A Way Out whilst raising spirits and wellbeing of the community taking part.

A Way Out and clients thank all of our supporters for caring so intensively.  If you would like to support our work please go to www.awayout.co.uk or 

Shoulder to shoulder

A Way Out charity normally stands shoulder to shoulder with our staff, with volunteers and with supporters – reaching out, supporting and transforming the lives of some of the most vulnerable women, young people and families in Teesside.  But whilst social distancing, homeworking and ‘lockdown’, shoulder to shoulder is no longer a safe position.  The organisation has made weekly food parcel deliveries maintaining the required distance, and sustained contact, support and safety planning with clients remotely via phone, text or social media, but doing this shoulder to shoulder has not been permissible or safe.

We have all struggled with the 2m rule putting space between ourselves and friends and family.  But one thing can still happen personally between 2 people at a safe 2m distance… it can happen with those we are well acquainted, with those we love, with colleagues, with those we support professionally … even with strangers we pass on the street.  One thing that we can do is meet their gaze, eye to eye, and give a nod or a smile… a friendly encouragement that we are all in this together no matter who we are, or where we are.

When we distributed crisis parcels this week, our staff did not just deliver food and toiletries, they delivered a strong and valuable message to our clients who are battling with very real, challenging and tough impacts of social isolation.  A message delivered eye to eye, meeting their gaze, giving assurance that they are not invisible, that they matter and are loved.

For Christians Easter is a time when eyes gaze upon the cross and then turn to the empty tomb with a message that we all matter and we are all loved. 

Especially at this time we encourage you to meet someone’s gaze, share a smile – it’s permitted even when you are more than 2 metres apart!

A Night on Outreach

I recently joined the A Way Out team booming with enthusiasm and raring to get involved. I work in the admin office answering the phone, helping to recruit volunteers and ensuring everything runs smoothly.


In addition to my Admin role I volunteer with A Way Out’s Outreach Team in Middlesbrough. After completing the required volunteer training, I commenced my first outreach session, and with a little trepidation grabbed supplies and hopped into the van.


Whilst driving around the evening streets of Middlesbrough offering support to vulnerable women, it felt like a whole other world in comparison to walking these streets in the daytime as a University student.


We stopped the A Way Out Van offering initial engagement via hot drinks and food, whilst establishing requirements for additional support, and signposting the women to attend our new daytime drop-in located on Parliament Road.


Pulling into a street the temperature was freezing, and we encountered a shivering woman waiting alone.  We offered her a donated hat, scarf and a hot drink as we chatted about how she could access support.  

The staff member I was working alongside was amazing. Her kindness and passion for her job shone through and enabled her to approach the women in a manner that immediately put them at ease and encouraged them to open-up in an honest and trusting way. One thing that stood out to me most was a poignant question from a vulnerable woman… ‘Why are you being so nice to me?’


This experience is one I will never forget, and I look forward to continuing to offer this voluntary support along with sharing the impact of the work of A Way Out and encouraging others to support the organisation.


For more information about A Way Out  contact 01642 655071 or www.awayout.co.uk.

Written By Hannah Dodsworth - Admin Assistant.

Hope for the future

2020 marks the year in which A Way Out will come of age, in June the organisation celebrates 18 years of supporting the area’s most vulnerable women, young people and families.  For a local charity 18 years is an achievement, it is testament to the support received over the years; it is also testament to the need that has not abated... in fact it seems to be increasing.

 

Last year the organisation successfully geographically expanded working in partnership with the Prison service as ‘Sex Work Lead’ supporting women across the whole of Durham Tees Valley; an A Way Out worker in the PCC DIVERT team working to reduce the incidence of recidivism across the Teesside area and  has a key role in an expansive North East wide service supporting sexually exploited females through the STAGE project.  As an organisation we focus on asset based support and empowerment.

This expansion brings a ‘bitter/sweet’ feeling – whilst pleased that the expertise of A Way Out is acknowledged and recognised throughout many statutory and voluntary partner agencies across the region, the reality of hearing at first hand the full extent of the impact of historic and current trauma can be difficult.  The area rates high in national statistics which identify Middlesbrough as the lowest of 346 local UK authorities in the ‘worst place to be a girl’ statistics (Plan International 2016).

As A Way Out makes plans to celebrate its 18^th year we would invite you to join us in raising the profile of the area in a positive way, a profile which highlights community support, strength and commitment to inspiring and enabling optimistic hope for the future.  You can do this by choosing to support the organisation financially or by volunteering.  Further details can be found via www.awayout.co.uk or ringing 01642 655071.

Start Afresh

January is often a time when people choose to start afresh, perhaps deciding to change lifelong habits, perhaps committing to learning a new skill; sometimes giving up after just one day, every so often achieving lasting success.

At A Way Out we encourage and empower vulnerable women, young people and families to commit to starting afresh what ever time of the year it may be… supporting clients to make that first step to transform their own lives.  Working in partnership with other support agencies, schools, housing providers, addiction recovery services, police, PCC, probation and prison service, A Way Out collaboratively offers support and guidance to enable life changing ‘new starts’ which we hope will last a lifetime.  Our dedicated staff and volunteers are there every step of the way and even when those steps take a backward tumble, A Way Out continues to offer positive encouragement and support… however many times it takes.

 

The success of our work is due to the commitment each staff member and volunteer makes to supporting every individual client, and to the strength of the collective support offered through collaborative work with partners.  By linking with Stockton Town Pastors who generously provide weekly use of their bespoke vehicle to use alongside our own, A Way Out offers weekly day time and evening outreach services across both Middlesbrough and Stockton.   Our evening outreach sessions are enhanced by the addition of staff from specialist services who join our team offering support in relation to domestic violence (My Sister’s Place) and specialist health care (CGL recovery service).  By working together we all make a difference in the lives of others.

It’s not to late to make a commitment this year to join us to facilitate lasting change –volunteering with any of our services / fundraising / helping to raise awareness – just go to www.awayout.co.uk for more info or ring 01642 655071.