South Wales Evening Post

WHY WE LOVE BEAUJOLAIS!

The help and advice of one of Swansea Council’s local area co-ordinators turned the life of one city sex worker around for the better.

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WHEN Fiona Hughes met Alice for a chat and coffee on a bench overlookin­g the lake at Brynmill Park, neither could have known how much it would change the young woman’s life.

Alice was bright, articulate, intelligen­t and shy, and as they chatted, she confided in some of the difficulti­es she was facing and agreed to meet with Fiona again.

The meetings always took place in the open air, where they would “talk and walk” in local parks and along the promenade.

It was during one of their subsequent walks that the 25-year-old disclosed to Fiona she was a sex worker. She had been involved in an abusive relationsh­ip, had lost confidence, felt isolated and was trapped by her circumstan­ces.

The pair had initially been put in contact by a mutual acquaintan­ce who thought that Fiona, in her role as one of Swansea Council’s local area co-ordinators (LACS), may be able to assist.

Fiona got to know Alice over a period of months and talked to her about her strengths, skills and interests, and eventually they started to discuss the changes she wanted to make and her longing to start over.

She introduced her to a domestic abuse support worker and the One Stop Shop in the city centre and also provided informatio­n on voluntary activities that Alice could -undertake while exploring educationa­l opportunit­ies in the profession she was interested in studying.

Alice is now in college, no longer in an abusive relationsh­ip and no longer a sex worker.

“We last spoke a few weeks ago and she believes it was a moment of serendipit­y that brought us together because her life has changed so much in a relatively short space of time,” said Fiona.

“Sometimes going for a coffee with someone you don’t know – having the warmth and genuine interest from another person who allows you the opportunit­y to talk about yourself, can help you to see options.

“We explored what she liked and she wanted for her future – in other words, what a good life looked like to her.”

Alice said she was grateful for the non-judgementa­l assistance provided by Fiona as an LAC.

“Fiona came into my life when I thought nobody could help me,” she said. “I felt so ashamed and just didn’t want

Sometimes going for a coffee with someone you don’t know – having the warmth and genuine interest from another person who allows you the opportunit­y to talk about yourself, can help you to see options

- Local area co-ordinator Fiona Hughes

to go on. I’ll always be grateful for the time she spent with me and thank her from the bottom of my heart.”

There are now 10 LACS working in communitie­s in Swansea and very shortly there will be more.

They have a wide-ranging brief that includes helping people to develop skills and ideas to avoid crises by finding practical solutions to everyday problems and nonjudgeme­ntal assistance.

Fiona covers the Brynmill and Uplands area, and has lived in the community that she loves.

People are introduced to

her by doctors, nurses, social workers, family members, acquaintan­ces and friends.

Some may be elderly, recently bereaved, recovering from illness or have lost confidence in their ability to socialise and become an active participan­t in the community.

“Isolation can occur for many reasons and you become stuck in a mire where it becomes very difficult to pick yourself up,” Fiona explains.

She also comes into contact with many younger people, especially in her patch with its proximity to the university and colleges and high proportion of rental accommodat­ion.

These are people who are often active on social media and this may add to their feelings of loneliness and isolation, according to Fiona.

“They see this wonderful portrayal on Facebook of people out having a fantastic time and looking beautiful,” she said.

“This can have a profound effect on individual­s who are isolated and result in low self-esteem and self-worth, which in turn may lead to depression, further isolation and loss of confidence.

“It’s my role to walk alongside people and support them as they are work towards their vision of a good life. To introduce them to activities within the community, and to provide informatio­n and signpostin­g.

“If they do not want to work with me, that’s fine, however things can change and people always have the opportunit­y to contact me in the future.”

Councillor Mark Child, Swansea Council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “Since we started the local area coordinato­r scheme three years ago I have heard of many examples of the good work they are doing in their communitie­s but not many as moving as that of Alice.

“The team has assisted many hundreds of people who might be lonely or isolated to prevent the need for interventi­on from social services or other agencies and at a time when the public purse is tight this is invaluable.”

We explored what she liked and she wanted for her future – in other words, what a good life looked like to her

It’s my role to walk alongside people and support them as they are work towards their vision of a good life. To introduce them to activities within the community, and to provide informatio­n and signpostin­g

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 ??  ?? Local area coordinato­r Fiona Hughes at Brynmill Park, where she first met a sex worker, changing her life.
Local area coordinato­r Fiona Hughes at Brynmill Park, where she first met a sex worker, changing her life.
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