The Anawim Impact Report for 2025-26 has been published.
Every year we look back at the 12 months before, and what difference our service has made to the women who use it. This year is slightly different, as we are also reflecting on the last four decades, and remembering the women who started Anawim back in 1986.
It has gave me the confidence to allow myself to be openly emotional – it allows me to be more vulnerable.
Here’s the headlines from the report:
- 2096 women were directly supported, either by a caseworker, in drop-in or over the helpline.
- Of those 1325 had their own caseworker.
- Four in ten women had a mental health need, and just over a third had experienced domestic abuse.
- 1531 visits were made to drop-in by 579 women.
- 78% of helpline calls were about abuse, mental health or accommodation.
- We gave out 763 food and toiletry parcels, and 66 clothes vouchers.
Thank you for all the help you gave today, I felt really heard and recognised. Thank you for understanding me when no one else has.
We also focussed on some of the good news from the last 12 months. That included our can recycling partnership with We Can CIC, a growth in community support, and even an award win.
This year’s report also looks in detail at some of our services.
That included CAMEO which has been in HMP Foston Hall for 13 years. CAMEO is designed for female offenders with complex needs arising from pervasive psychological difficulties (which may meet the criteria for personality disorder). It supports women who present a high risk of reoffending, have at least two years remaining on their sentence, and whose progression and safe release into the community is complicated by these difficulties.
When you’re down, Anawim brings you up.
We also took the opportunity to talk about some of our newer projects, including becoming the lead supplier for New Chance in the West Midlands and our Young Women’s Project.
As we mark this anniversary year, we know that despite all the changes, some things will remain the same: We will continue working with women and fighting for better futures. We will continue to evolve, and adapt to what is needed most, And we will always listen to the women above all else. We hope for a day when our service is recognised as such, and our funding is safe, or indeed – in the best-case scenario – no longer needed. Joy Doal, CEO.