Pearl Street

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Our House Walton’s Streetwise Project was established in 2006, taken over on Our House in June 202. We help support some of the most vulnerable sex workers living and working in  Liverpool. Streetwise operates a mobile Harm Reduction Unit that operates every Friday and Saturday evening until early hours, when many other services have closed for the weekend. 

Our outreach van goes to red light areas to support people sex working and help reduce risks by offering a caring, non-judgemental space of safety and giving emergency assistance to workers including emergency food, condoms, referrals to specialist agencies, protection and clothing. We have helped to support over 140 sex workers over the last 3 years including woman, men and transgender living and working in difficult circumstances. Any concerns or support needs are then passed onto our Pearls Project team or other specialist services for those who need ongoing support.

The sex workers come from a variety of different backgrounds, many will be struggling with addiction after suffering from complex family and social upbringings, We work closely with local police and both statutory and voluntary projects so we can be part of a coordinated approach to offer holistic support to these vulnerable individual and reduce their risks.

The Streetwise project is delivered by a group of volunteers who are passionate about protecting and supporting sex workers living and working in our city. Many of our volunteers will come from different professional backgrounds including nurses, doctors, emergency services, teachers, and military services. We have over 20 volunteers on a rota going out every weekend.

Working in conjunction with Pearls Project we offer practical and emotional support and harm reduction work by offering information on alcohol, drugs, housing, domestic violence, sexual health and working safely. To do this well we also work closely with specialist services across the Liverpool City Region including Merseyside Police, Red Umbrella, Axess, We Are With You and often liaising with Careline Liverpool, Homeless services, Hostels, Domestic violence services as well as many other services.  

Pearls Project was founded in 2012 after listening to women who came to the Streetwise van and realising more person centred, relational support was needed. 

Since then we have been offering one to one support and women's groups in the community and hostels that focusses on the needs and aspirations of each individual and group of women and walks alongside them on their journey.

​Our vision is for women to know they are loved, valued and connected​ and to know they can choose and take steps towards positive life change.

In 2020 we started to work much more closely with the Streetwise team to work out how we could use a more joined up approach in supporting the women and having seen the positive impact of this in 2023 Pearls Project officially became part of Our House Community.

We have a team of amazing volunteers who help with running weekly women's group in a hostel and support getting women to appointments and doing other well-being activities.  We now combine with the Streetwise team for our team training and support and give volunteers opportunity to get involved in different activities and support for those we work with.

 Our support looks different with each woman we work with, dependent on their needs, experience and what matters to them.​

• Practical and emotional support to connect with other support services, navigate difficult situations, get to appointments.
• Being there for women with phone calls, messages & visits - a listening ear, someone to chat through things with, shoulder to cry on, people to share joy with.
• Helping women connect with their strengths, interests and skills to build confidence and life satisfaction.
• Referring and signposting into other organisations helping them access the support you need.
• Providing well-being and creative activities through one to one support, groups and events.
• Support for those who want to exit the sex industry.
• Support for those who want to quit drinking or using drugs.