The Red Light District
Working in the red light districts of Manchester can be one of the most disturbing parts of the ministry, yet it is a privilege to serve and spend time with the people we meet. The women that we have contact with are predominantly street based workers but we are aware that there is a significant industry involving women working using the internet, in saunas, or for escort agencies. The women involved in street based prostitution come from a variety of backgrounds and are of all ages. We occasionally meet girls as young as fourteen selling sexual acts, alongside women up to, and in, their late fifties. While the younger girls may see it as one big game, not realising the dangers involved, the majority of women in their twenties and thirties learn to disassociate and use drugs and alcohol to cope. The team is often confronted with stories of rape, robbery and violence. It certainly is not the glamorous profession that some think it is; few women would freely choose to ‘work’ had circumstances in their lives been different.
Our volunteers work in small teams from a refurbished Mercedes Sprinter van which provides a safe space to sit down and enjoy a hot drink, food and a listening ear. We also provide for more material needs in the form of knickers, bras and sanitary wear. We meet the women where they are at, be it on a street corner or down a dark alleyway. The initial contact is important. From the outset it is essential that the women understand we are Christians and that we are there to support them. Trust is not easily won on the streets and it is only through the commitment of our volunteers that relationships have grown.
Manchester is not alone in the UK in having a significant prostitution problem, but alongside other Christian agencies across the country our ultimate aim is to see women leave behind a life which devalues and endangers them. We hope that with the right support and encouragement the women can make positive changes in both their thinking and lifestyle to enable them to effectively break free from prostitution.
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