A passion for supporting vulnerable women is the driving force behind an intrepid fundraiser who arrives in Hull on the latest leg of her mammoth ten-night Sleepout across the UK.
The stopover, on 9th February, marks the ninth consecutive sleepout for Lianne Kirkman, in her gruelling Her Fight, Our Night Challenge, in support of her charity The Esther Project and brings her into contact with two charities – Jubilee Church and Together Women.
Her journey, which began in her home town of Leamington Spa on February 1st, is also taking her to Coventry, Birmingham, Bristol, Plymouth, Southampton, London, Doncaster and, finally Blackpool, where, en route, she is meeting local organisations supporting women and raising awareness of the complex issues and best practice solutions and highlighting the gaps in service provision.
Founded in 2006, Jubilee Church Hull supports those in need in the city including working with the homeless.
In 2012, the opportunity arose to buy the Methodist Central Hall in the centre of Hull, which was then renamed Jubilee Central. This not only provided Jubilee with a place to gather as a church, but an ideal site from which to reach out to those in need. Shower and laundry facilities were installed to support the homeless community and the church also developed daytime activities to provide extra support to help people move forward in life which is called Jubilee Life College and has now been running for 11 years.
One of the charity’s directors Phil Irvin will be joining Lianne on the Sleepout.
Dan Fryer, Leader at Jubilee Church, said: “We are delighted to welcome Lianne to our city and be part of her incredible fundraising efforts. The work that the Esther Project is doing is inspiring and we are excited to partner with them and see more people in need helped through this amazing charity.”
Together Women is an award-winning charity that supports women and girls across the North of England, with particular focus on those who are involved in, or at risk of, entering the criminal justice system.
When the Together Women pilot project was first established, it was a direct response to the 2007 Corston Report and the recommendation for women at risk or involved with the criminal justice system to have access to ‘one-stop-shop’ women’s centres.
Tailored support is provided through a network of specialist women’s centres across a range of pathways, including housing, mental health and wellbeing, domestic abuse, sexual violence, substance misuse and addiction, finance and debt, employment and training, and social groups to build confidence and community.
Women facing these kinds of challenges need person-centred support—which is not found in a prison cell. The work we do is designed to support women to create meaningful, positive change in their lives, with a ripple effect across their families and communities.
Together Women works in partnership with women’s organisations across the UK to drive systemic change within the criminal justice system, the goal, to prevent women being sent to prison and utilise early intervention and community-based support.
Anna Morgan, Senior Manager at Humberside Women’s Centres, said: “Every day, women involved with the criminal justice system face daunting challenges that threaten their safety, dignity, and future. They are individuals who, all too often, have been failed by a society that overlooks the trauma and adversity they’ve endured. At Together Women, we stand alongside them, not just to help them survive but to support them in reclaiming their lives and building a better future.
“One of the most significant challenges faced by the women we work with is accessing safe, secure, and stable accommodation. We know that until women have a safe place to call home, it is very difficult for women to move forward with their lives in a positive way. Lianne’s commitment to highlighting these issues and amplifying the voices of the women we support is greatly appreciated. We hope her efforts will drive meaningful change both locally and nationally.”
The 50-year-old mum of two said: “I want to highlight the need for more women’s centres and some of the great work and some good practice around the UK and we want to work with the other charities to highlight the issue around the Government’s role in funding women’s services.
“Every experience is going to be different but I know that we’re going to be met with the same issues around funding, around women not being safe, the effects of trauma and the cycle of abuse, the poverty cycle and women in and out of the criminal justice system.”
Lianne’s challenge will also be documented by film maker, Laura Harvey of Vibe Immersive, and later screened as part of a special conference organised as part of International Women’s Day weekend, on March 7th.
The Esther Project and Esther House are women-only initiatives providing gender-specific supported living accommodation as well as a weekly programme of activities to reduce isolation and improve skills. The ambition is to open a hub, a safe space where women can meet, access key support services and develop new skills for employability alongside an alternative to custody, situated in a rural location for women with more complex needs.
Lianne said: “But the bigger dream, within the next 18 months, is to have a 24/7 space that offers provision such as those we’re visiting over the 10 days. We’re looking at how we can meet all those needs and learn from all these amazing spaces. What’s good practice? I want to see what’s working for them in the areas of counselling, employability, homelessness and women in and out of the criminal justice system. There’s some great projects out there.”
The challenge is also being supported by Warwickshire sponsors Lockwoods Ski & Outdoor; Raised Modular Flooring (RMF); The Leader Marketing Partnership; Cool Fox Tees; Comtec Translations, Esque Beauty and Pentlands Accountants and Advisors.
Lianne said: “We’ve got to stop that cycle of abuse. Women caught up in domestic abuse don’t dare leave their partner but if they do they end up in poverty and lose their house and that’s the trigger for the whole mess they end up in. And women are being thrown into overcrowded prisons for stealing a loaf of bread to feed their children, and non-violent crimes when they should be getting treatment for the pain and trauma they’ve previously gone through. Why are we not treating women the right way?”
Money raised will fund women’s services in Warwickshire including the future hub. To sponsor Lianne visit: https://localgiving.org/fundraising/Her-Fight-Our-Night-10-day-sleepout-across-the-UK