Anawim

/media/community-projects/library/anawim-new-oct2020.jpg

Anawim exists to support women and their children throughout Birmingham, especially women who are involved in prostitution, offending behaviour, drug abuse and sexual exploitation to move their lives forward and reach their full potential. It provides rehabilitation, prison outreach, mental health support, family support, case management and other services, including money advice and accommodation support. Anawim seeks to work with partners and other agencies to challenge that which degrades and diminishes.

History

Anawim started more than 30 years ago when two sisters of Our Lady of Charity took their mission to work with vulnerable women to the streets of Balsall Heath. They moved into an area known for prostitution, befriended the women on the street, talked to them and welcomed them back to their house.

Father Hudson’s became involved with Anawim early on and supported them by leasing the parish centre as a base for the project, providing recruitment and line management support and arranging management committee meetings.

In 2014, it was decided that it was the right time for Anawim to become a charity in its own right. Both partners provided financial and professional support for this to happen and, in April 2015, all staff and assets transferred to Anawim as an independent charity.

By April 2020 Anawim as a charity had reached the position of being able to provide internally its own Financial and HR support services, no longer requiring these to be provided by the Sisters and Father Hudson’s. In the period before this the two Foundation partners worked with the Anawim Board to review and amend the Articles of Association. Having chaired the Board for the previous five years Father Hudson’s judged this to be the appropriate time for greater independence. As part of this transition three new Father Hudson’s representative Trustees were recruited. The sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd remain fully involved in governance and also currently in providing one of the services.

To find out more about Anawim’s work please visit their website: www.anawim.co.uk, e-mail referrals@anawim.co.uk or call 0121 440 5296 to speak to a member of the team.