For Bradford’s sex workers, it provides an escape from the chaos controlling their lives.

In an industrial area of the city, a discreet service is working closely with the women who want to relinquish making their livelihood through prostitution.

Michelle Khan, team leader of the Bradford Working Women’s Service, says there are many reasons why the women work on the streets.

Some have a history of abuse; some are involved in dysfunctional relationships or have mental health issues. Ninety per cent of the women are funding substance misuse.

The women’s dependency on drugs and alcohol forces them into a situation many would not choose to be in, but they are powerless in the face of their addiction.

Losing her job forced the woman I spoke to into working on the streets. “I used to have a good job but I lost it due to poor time-keeping. I knew a lot of the women at the time and asked, ‘how do you go about it’?”

Her partner at the time didn’t support her, nor did he stop her from selling herself.

“I’ve done it for many years and I’m still doing it now and then,” she says.

“I don’t know what makes me do it. Maybe I am depressed. Maybe I’ve been bullied in the relationships I’ve had. I’ve been used as a punchbag. I think it’s just to hide a lot of pain.”

Working the streets is also a quick and convenient way of getting cash to pay for the drink and drugs some of the women so desperately need.

The woman has drink and drug problems, which she is now beginning to address through the service. “They’ve always been there for us,” she says.

“I didn’t used to use the service so much but I do now. They do everything. They look after me, they sorted my housing, they help me with benefits, they’ve given me confidence and they are helping me to get off the streets.

“Without them I don’t know where I would be right now.”

Listening to the woman, watching her swallowing back her emotions, makes you realise that for all the complexity of their lives, most of them really do want to change.

This woman has found a way out and she’s hoping other women will too.

Since 1990, the Bradford Working Women’s Service has been reaching out to these women.

Originally focused on sexual health, the service is now a drop-in and outreach providing a holistic approach offering help to women involved in sex work with a whole range of issues, including ways of improving their health in a safe, all-female environment.

The service, provided by Bradford and Airedale Community Health Services, supports the women in many ways, promoting health and well-being as well as important safety information and advice.

It also encourages them to make positive life changes with the ultimate aim of helping them leave prostitution.

Working with other health and social care organisations, including the police, the service is able to provide a one-stop complete package of care.

The service currently has 100 sex workers on its books. Around a third are homeless. Eighty-six per cent were under 24 when they started sex work (38 per cent are under 18). Of the 74 women who use the service but don’t work the streets, many work in saunas.

Many more who do not use the service may be sex working discreetly, often operating from their own homes and with a number of ‘regulars.’ As part of the service’s outreach work they also do harm reduction, which involves sending teams out to see if the women need anything such as needle exchange or condoms. They also circulate information about suspicious clients. “We have a great team here. They work well with the women,” says Michelle.

The service also runs a Service User Representative Forum enabling the women to have their say on issues. The woman I spoke to was hoping to train through the service to become a representative on the forum.

Michelle says the service is ‘invaluable.’ “The work we do with the women is not just helping them, it is helping the area and it helps the city.”

If you are affected by these issues or you want more information, call the 24-hour helpline on 0753 4836141.