Anawim was founded in 1986 by Sister Maisie Nevin and Sister Magdalene Matthews.
Sadly, Sister Maisie died in July of this year, just a few months before our 40th anniversary.
We have since received donations in her memory and so have created The Sister Maisie Nevin memorial fund in honour and remembrance of both Sister Maisie and Sister Magdalene. We hope to be able to provide a permanent memorial to them, and to those others we have lost, with any remaining money going to support our vital services.
The Sisters saw a need for humanitarian intervention and opened their doors to the women of Balsall Heath’s red-light district, offering support and shelter for sex workers where there was otherwise none. Their drop-in service provided a sanctuary for women in the community who were vulnerable to exploitation.
The difference this made has proved increasingly significant over time. The values of Anawim – as set out by the Sisters – champion unconditional love, support that is free of judgement and the rights of each and every woman to be able to enjoy life to the fullest. Their mission continues to inspire us.
Anawim continues to grow and reaches over 2,000 women each year. Today, we are seeing an increasing need for the range of services we offer. From 2025 to 2026, 2096 women were directly supported by Anawim: 546 women were assisted via our helpline through 820 calls, 202 women received counselling over 849 sessions, we gave out 763 food parcels and 66 clothing vouchers.
Our services are vital.
Every woman’s story is different and that’s why everything we do at Anawim is informed by individual needs, so we offer the broadest support. From practical help when leaving prison, or a place to visit when things are tough, to courses, activities, counselling, help with parenting, care, specialised support, clothes, food and other essentials like access to a phone and the internet – women’s lives can sometimes depend on us.
We could not have such impact on so many lives without the support of our allies: partners, sponsors and individual donors. Anawim is an independent charity, and our work has made waves in the community for the last four decades. The Sister Maisie Memorial Fund has been created with the purpose of paying tribute to our origins, continuing the work that is essential to so many, and supporting the growing need for such services. Together we can work towards a positive future.