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.

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*.

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.

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.   

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.

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.  

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.

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.

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

£8
could mean there’s always a welcome cuppa and refreshments at our drop in.
£15
could provide on-the-go food parcels to two women who access our drop in.
£40
could help provide specialist support staff for women affected by the sex industry.
Or
£
Donate
Help us reach more people by making a smaller donation every month
Change to monthly
No
£17
could help us supply a night street-outreach session, with basic needs and food for our women.
£49
could provide an emergency pack for women who are needing to flee unsafe situations.
£98
could provide life enrichment activities for women in recovery who are rebuilding their lives.
Or
£
Donate
Your kind support will help us tackle social deprivation through partnership and collaboration to help empower individuals and communities
Your kind support will help us tackle social deprivation through partnership and collaboration to help empower individuals and communities
£

Custom Amount

Would you like to hear from us by email? We will share how your giving is transforming lives, and other ways you can get involved
Text Marketing

Privacy notice: Your data is safe with us and will only be used according to your preferences. You can update your contact preferences anytime by emailing our Supporter Care Team or calling 0300 131 9200. For full details, see our Privacy Policy.

Your kind donation will support our work where it is needed most.
What prompted my donation
Select Payment Method
My details

Billing Details

Reclaim Gift Aid

Make your %PRICE% worth %GIFTAID% at no extra cost to you!

Note: if you are donating on behalf of an organisation Gift Aid is not applicable (please do not tick the box), as it is only applied to individual donations.

By ticking the “Yes” box, I agree I would like Church Army to Gift Aid my donation of %PRICE% and any donations I make in the future or have made in the past 4 years. I understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations in that tax year I may be asked to pay any difference. I understand that Church Army will reclaim 25p of tax on every £1 that I give.

What is Gift Aid?

Gift Aid does not cost you a penny more, but can add an additional 25p to every £1 you donate. When Church Army receives a donation from a UK taxpayer, we’re entitled to claim an amount of tax (calculated at the basic rate of income tax in that year) paid on that donation. Once you have given your permission for us to do this on your behalf, there is no need for you to do anything else.

All that is required is that you must be a taxpayer and that would have paid or will pay sufficient Income and/or Capital Gains Tax to cover all the Gift Aid claimed on all your donations in that tax year. Please note that it is your responsibility to pay any difference.

The amount of tax we claim will be 25% of the total value of your donations in that tax year. Furthermore, if you are a higher taxpayer, you are also entitled to claim the difference between the basic rate which we will claim and the amount of tax you have actually paid. For further details on how you can do this, please contact your tax office. If your tax situation changes and your gifts will no longer be eligible for the Gift Aid scheme please contact us and we will amend your record accordingly.

Take me to my donation »

Donation Total: £25.00 One Time

*Sources: Beyond the Streets and Streetlight UK

**name changed to protect identity