Rahab offers practical support, signposting and a listening ear to those affected by sexual exploitation, including street prostitution, in Reading.

Our Rahab volunteers run weekly street-based night outreach in West Reading. We go out in teams of two to three people, up to four times a week. Meeting at 9:30pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 10pm on Fridays. The session usually finishes at 11:30pm, except on Fridays when we finish around midnight. However, on busy evenings these hours can sometimes be extended.

We use this opportunity to identify women who are exploited in prostitution. The conversations we have may be long or short, but all help to build a relationship. The people we approach are working, and therefore are not always able to engage in a chat, but we are able to give out supplies.

Our teams take refreshments and supplies with them, which we hand out to those we see. These include chocolate bars, crisps, drinks cans, hot drinks, wet wipes, contraception, sanitary items, rape alarms, and clothing depending on the weather. These chats are an opportunity for us to talk to clients about how we can further support them.