'We have to keep fighting for sex workers'

Katie Stentiford (L) and Jennifer Riley (R) say the One25 team helped around 200 women last year

Charity workers say they will "keep fighting" for marginalised sex workers as their organisation marks its 30th anniversary.

Volunteers from One25 head out onto the streets of Bristol every night to provide advice, offer swab testing kits if women have been assaulted and share photos of dangerous individuals provided by police.

The charity said many women it worked with fell into the "vicious circle" of trauma, drug taking and sex work to feed their addictions.

"We are very much needed, our dream is that every woman is safe, loved and thriving," CEO of One25 Jennifer Riley said.

She added that the number of women accessing the charity's night outreach had more than doubled in the past three years, with the team helping around 200 women in 2024.

"Nobody would choose to be out on the streets where you're at such great risk of violence and abuse," Ms Riley told BBC Radio Bristol.

Services co-ordinator of One25 Katie Stentiford explained what support the charity could provide on its nightly patrols.

"The women flag [the van down], sometimes they want a quick interaction.

"Other times they've been assaulted, and just want to talk something through, we offer a quiet safe space for them to be in," she said.

The charity also runs a daytime health centre and can make emergency referrals to safe places for homeless women to sleep.

"As long as we're needed, we have to keep fighting for the women.

"They are some of the most marginalised people in our city, but they are also some of the most resilient, courageous, loving women that you will ever meet," Ms Stentiford added.

The charity was visited by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2019

Ms Riley said women would frequently ring the charity and ask for food bank referrals.

"They're very malnourished, very hungry. Some women will go back out to work because they can't afford to heat their home or buy food," she said.

One25 works with other agencies in Bristol to help women leave street sex work.

"That can be by helping them get the correct benefits or drug treatments - all the things you need to try and stop sex working.

"It's a long journey and they often do return again but the end goal is to put that behind them," Ms Stentiford said.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story you can visit BBC Action Line.