A passion for supporting vulnerable women is the driving force behind an intrepid fundraiser who arrives in Blackpool on the final leg of her mammoth ten-night Sleepout across the UK.

The stopover, on Monday (February 10th) marks the completion of the 10-night challenge for Lianne Kirkman, in her gruelling Her Fight, Our Night Challenge, in support of her charity The Esther Project and brings her into contact with two charities – Lancashire Women and Blackpool & The Fylde Street Angels.

Her journey, which began in her hometown of Leamington Spa on February 1st, is also taking her to Coventry, Birmingham, Bristol, Plymouth, Southampton, London, Doncaster and Hull, where, en route, she is meeting local organisations supporting women and raising awareness of the complex issues and best practice solutions and highlighting the gaps in service provision.

Lancashire Women was founded in 1985 in Blackburn by a group of women who were seeing persistent high child mortality rates and poor maternity health outcomes in the area.

Lianne is linking up with local women's charity Lancashire Women.

placeholder image — Lianne is linking up with local women's charity Lancashire Women.

Today, the organisation supports women from 16 years plus with physical and mental health issues, problems around living costs - energy, food, debt, benefits and also work around the criminal justice system, both with women in and outside of the prison estate.

CEO Amanda Greenwood, said: “It is complex and challenging work as women are still treated differently to men and this issue in particular is one of the reasons we are supporting Lianne in her efforts to raise awareness about those specific needs. In particular where women are homeless, have mental health issues from trauma and abuse and who are struggling to establish more settled lives.

“We look forward to meeting and supporting Lianne in Blackpool and to welcome her to our centre.”

Since 2012, Blackpool & The Fylde Street Angels has built up a recovery pipeline to help adults who are homeless and/or trapped in substance misuse/addiction, into recovery and reintegration.

First night of the Her Fight, Our Night Challenge.

Support takes the form of everything from street patrols, a welfare minibus and Safe Space building, as well as a street-based outreach service providing hot and cold food to around 80-100 people who may be rough sleeping, homeless or find themselves in poverty. Plus pastoral support and signposting to other service provisions.

For five years the Community Interest Group has also managed a 24-hour Temporary Bed Unit in partnership with the council’s Housing Options, providing 11 bedrooms for people who would otherwise be homeless and recently took on a building to provide Supported Housing accommodation for up to 10 people.

It also runs social enterprise projects such as furniture restoration, garden maintenance and a restored crazy golf course on the promenade, providing volunteering and work experience for our clients in advanced recovery.

CEO Paul Rawson, who is joining Lianne on the Sleepout, said: “Lianne and I have very similar belief, vision and passion to serve others. I am looking forward to her visiting us, and hoping we can link up and pool our resources even more to support our projects in the future.”

Lianne is linking up with local women's charity Street Angels.

The 50-year-old mum of two Lianne, said: “I want to highlight the need for more women’s centres and some of the great work and some good practice around the UK and we want to work with the other charities to highlight the issue around the Government’s role in funding women’s services.

“Every experience is going to be different but I know that we're going to be met with the same issues around funding, around women not being safe, the effects of trauma and the cycle of abuse, the poverty cycle and women in and out of the criminal justice system.”

Lianne’s challenge will also be documented by film maker, Laura Harvey of Vibe Immersive, and later screened as part of a special conference organised as part of International Women’s Day weekend, on March 7th.

The Esther Project and Esther House are women-only initiatives providing gender-specific supported living accommodation as well as a weekly programme of activities to reduce isolation and improve skills. The ambition is to open a hub, a safe space where women can meet, access key support services and develop new skills for employability alongside an alternative to custody, situated in a rural location for women with more complex needs.

Lianne said: “But the bigger dream, within the next 18 months, is to have a 24/7 space that offers provision such as those we're visiting over the 10 days. We’re looking at how we can meet all those needs and learn from all these amazing spaces. What's good practice? I want to see what's working for them in the areas of counselling, employability, homelessness and women in and out of the criminal justice system. There's some great projects out there.”

The challenge is also being supported by Warwickshire sponsors Lockwoods Ski & Outdoor; Raised Modular Flooring (RMF); The Leader Marketing Partnership; Cool Fox Tees; Comtec Translations, Esque Beauty and Pentlands Accountants and Advisors.

Lianne added: “We’ve got to stop that cycle of abuse. Women caught up in domestic abuse don’t dare leave their partner but if they do they end up in poverty and lose their house and that’s the trigger for the whole mess they end up in. And women are being thrown into overcrowded prisons for stealing a loaf of bread to feed their children, and non-violent crimes when they should be getting treatment for the pain and trauma they've previously gone through. Why are we not treating women the right way?”

Money raised will fund women’s services in Warwickshire including the future hub. To sponsor Lianne visit: https://localgiving.org/fundraising/Her-Fight-Our-Night-10-day-sleepout-across-the-UK