AN OUTREACH programme is giving support to sex workers in Southend.

Carrie’s Outreach is a section of the Aspirations Programme to help break the chains of addiction, and provides support to women who are selling sex in the area of Ambleside Drive in the town.

The area was thrust into the limelight last month during the trial of Kye Lewis, who was eventually convicted of raping a sex worker in a cemetery twice in July 2017, after picking the woman up in Ambleside Drive.

The 21-year-old, of Archer Avenue, Southend is due to be sentenced the week beginning October 12.

The outreach project was founded by mum-of-three Marie Edmonds, 43, who has obtained permission from Southend Council and Essex Police to work with the women on the streets.

They provide a dedicated outreach number for them if they need informed support, helping them attend appointments, giving them access to housing, and providing necessities such as toiletries, drinks, food and contraception such as condoms to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

Ms Edmonds said: “These women’s needs are so complex. I started to go out to them during the first week of lockdown.

“I know it’s not fair on neighbours and for children to be seeing these when they come home from school.

“We need to do something, building trusting relationships with them.”

The programme has received support from Kursaal ward councillor Helen McDonald, who said there are “no easy solutions” to stopping sexual exploitation of women.

She said: “As a town, we need a trauma-informed, high quality exiting program to support women to stop selling sex and to live lives free from exploitation and violence. We need to send a strong message that we will not tolerate the sexual abuse of women and that we refuse to make excuses for perpetrators of sexual harm.”

Visit aspirationsprogram.co.uk/sex-worker-outreach.