‘It is very difficult to sleep rough women’

“To go home and learn that you have left them – we have had to tuck women in foil blankets and simply called ‘see you later’ – which can be a heartbreak sometimes.”

Dani Brown has spent hours for driving and walking on the streets of Brijwatter, Summerset.

He is an outreach worker with a city center of the city run by a charity, Nelson Trust.

Every week he and a colleague go in search of homeless women who may require their help.

They load a van with immediate noodles and hot water, underwear, panic alarm and sanitary products, and go out to give practical help and advice.

And Sara, not her real name, knows what this “magnificent” work can make a difference.

After five years of heroin, after using shoplifting, took his children in care, and “in the garage, on the street”, sleeping, she has now cleared for 18 months.

Now 38, Sarah “didn’t feel very lonely”. Once she found the Brijwatter Women’s Center team after one of the several arrests for shoplifting, when she was sent to jail for the second time.

“When I had enough. I really miss my children, obviously I always miss my children, but when it click as if nothing is going to happen until I get out of the luggage.

“Now, being clean, everything else just falls into the place,” he said.

For the outreach team, Sara is a big success story.

No longer sleeping, she is now in temporary residence and is hoping to go to college at the end of this year.

She sees her son everyday who she said “amazing – I didn’t think I would get it back”.

And he has been away from Methadone for the last six weeks: “I am quite proud of him,” Sara accepted.

Another female donor and her colleague have seen that there are still difficult situations.

Dani said, “All the women I support are homeless, their mental health, misuse of substance, also have complex requirements about family breakdown, they may have to face violence from a partner or another person.”

In this special evening, she managed to see ten women, three of whom were new or she did not see for a long time.

“They were in parks, in the city, we have seen women in tents, even outside the city center who have felt them that they think there is a safe environment – but it’s a risky situation,” she said.

Along with handing over food and supply, Dani and her colleague have also advised.

Once a month they join sexual health nurses for the evening.

On this occasion, he has helped a woman receive emergency housing for the night and sent emails to “many different professionals” to help others.

Dani said, “We have a GP at the center tomorrow, so we were able to agree to four women to come and see GP, who currently do not use medical aid – that place of security and tonight the very few prompts have really helped,” Dani said.

Dani said that it is difficult that she comes in contact with women.

“In the evening, at night time, when women are at risk of violence – whether it is physical or sexual – because they are very weak.”

He said, “Risk can be kept, and when they are sleeping, they have risks – they get scared,” he said.