The Ruby Project
Showing God’s relentless love to women in the sex industry
Our Vision
The Ruby Project is dedicated to ensuring women can choose a life without sexual exploitation – where women involved in the sex industry can pursue genuine alternatives to survival strategies, abuse, poverty and drug dependency. We exist to show the relentless love of God for all women affected by the sex industry and to journey with those who choose to explore the Christian faith.
UK Sex Industry: The Facts
It’s estimated 105,000 individuals are involved in sex work in the UK. Most of these are women*.
Many women affected by the sex industry, especially on street, face financial struggles, insecure housing, domestic violence, and sexual abuse.
There is evidence that 76% of individuals in the sex industry face various forms of post-traumatic stress disorder*.
What does the Ruby Project DO?
The Ruby Project exists to offer solace and support to women affected by the sex industry.
Safe spaces
We offer a welcoming drop-in service for women three days a week. Together, we share meals and provide food parcels from the food bank, as well as access to our clothing bank and washing facilities – offering the only female-only wash space in the local area. Women can feel safe, holding appointments with outside agencies in a comfortable environment, and fostering a sense of community, compassion, and belonging.
Community support
As well as appointments at our centre, we also provide support for women to attend appointments at other agencies. For women transitioning away from sex work or in recovery, our drop-in centre may not always be the ideal place due to location or potential interactions, and so we offer additional support within the community, in a setting that supports their journey.
Bridging the gap
Many women we serve face challenges when seeking support due to past negative experiences with professionals and agencies. Lifestyle factors can also hinder their ability to access the help they require. For individuals who have endured traumatic events like assault, the emotional trauma can be profound. We are there for women who’ve faced these situations.
Street outreach
We visit the red-light areas, where we meet women where they are. We connect with them in a positive way, offering prayer and practical support such as food, toiletries, and weather-appropriate help such as umbrellas, sun cream and rain macs. We want them to know that we care.
Faith journeys
We delight in sharing the love of Jesus with women. Collaborating with vulnerable women, our focus is on ensuring they understand that faith exploration is a choice and not a condition. Many of our women actively seek prayer and at our drop-in, we have a prayer corner that many women find solace in. We also host a faith exploration group for women to deepen their understanding of Jesus and to strengthen their relationship with Him.
Our Values
Safe
Many of the women we support have faced difficult and traumatic life experiences – even danger to their lives. At the Ruby Project, we are committed to ensuring they feel physically and psychologically safe. Only in a safe environment can lives be transformed.
Nurturing
We journey with women, building relationships, recognising trauma, and valuing them at every step. We aim to create a culture of self-care where women, staff and volunteers can thrive and have the space to reflect, recover and dream once again.
Trauma-informed
Being involved in the sex industry is often a traumatic experience for women. It stops them feeling safe and able to trust other people. We recognise this and sensitively provide practical and emotional support, as well as a safe space to heal.
Women-centred
All women are made in the image of God – and are valuable and loved as mothers, daughters, sisters and friends. First and foremost, we see them through this lens. When we’re interacting with partner agencies and the wider public, we advocate for them and challenge the stigma attached to working in the sex industry.
Compassionate
We recognise the depth of pain and hardship many women in the sex industry endure. At the Ruby Project, our approach is grounded in love and respect, ensuring that each woman feels heard, valued, and understood. Through compassion, we foster a sense of belonging and hope, paving the way for genuine healing and transformation.
Evelyn’s Story
We originally met Evelyn** through our outreach work. At first, she was timid attending our drop-in, but as we built and nurtured a relationship with her, we began to see her be more comfortable and she gradually opened up, sharing more about her life and experiences.
During one of her visits, Evelyn bravely confided in us that she was in a relationship in which she experienced a lot of violence, revealing the harrowing ordeal of being strangled by him when he “encouraged her” to work. We supported this brave woman to engage with the police and a local specialist domestic violence agency who could help her move to a safer area.
Evelyn has lived through such adversity and pain but shows such resilience and compassion and cares deeply for others. She not only seeks support for herself but also brings other women to our drop-in centre. She has a deep desire for spiritual growth, and she comes to our faith group which she affectionately calls church.
What is The Ruby Project?
The Ruby Project exists to offer solace and support to women affected by the sex industry. Through safe spaces and outreach programs, our aim is to foster lasting improvements in their mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being, supporting them to experience the unwavering love of God in practical and emotional ways. We nurture trusting relationships, built on compassion and empathy, our team of experts adopt a trauma-informed approach, striving to forge secure and enduring bonds with the women we serve.
All too often, women affected by the industry have experienced dehumanisation, labelling, and discrimination even from institutions and professionals, in an attempt to cope, some women turn to substance abuse, adding to their cycle of pain and suffering. To ensure each woman accesses the care she deserves, we prioritise creating spaces and developing collaborative relationships with other agencies where they feel secure, respected, and supported. We offer an open and safe space to develop fellowship for those who want to explore the Christian faith.
We Don’t Give Up
No matter where a woman stands on her journey, we greet her with unconditional compassion, understanding, acceptance, and love. We mark every positive step and persevere alongside them, even during challenging times, we never give up. Together, we explore what hope and thriving looks like, on their terms and at their pace, as they find their voices and discover the truth of their immeasurable worth and the boundless love God has for them.
Join Us And Make A Gift
*Sources: Beyond the Streets and Streetlight UK
**name changed to protect identity
