The Nia Project

What The Nia Project does

The Nia Project is a registered charity (Charity No. 1037072; Company No. 02673624) founded in 1975 and headquartered in London, delivering specialist services for women, girls and children subjected to sexual and domestic violence and abuse, including prostitution. The organisation is women-led, women-only, secular and rights-based, with operations across nine London boroughs: Hackney, Haringey, Barking and Dagenham, Waltham Forest, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets, Havering, Newham and Brent. Its service portfolio comprises three specialist refuges (the Emma Project for women with problematic substance use, Daria House for women escaping sexual exploitation, and Jan's Place in north London for women with multiple disadvantages), the East London Rape Crisis Service (including a 24/7 helpline and ISVA support), Independent Domestic Violence Advocacy (IDVA) in Hackney and Haringey, the IRIS GP training programme, the Anita Project, and partnership-led services including WiSER, the Casa Project, and LHAWAS for migrant women with No Recourse to Public Funds.

The business model is a non-traded, grant-funded managed-services structure: revenue derives from institutional grants and statutory commissioning from London Councils, MOPAC (Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime), the Home Office, London boroughs, the Big Lottery Fund, BBC Children in Need, Comic Relief, and charitable trusts (Samworth, Garfield Weston, Treebeard), supplemented by individual donations through JustGiving. Services are delivered free of charge to beneficiaries, and the organisation maintains an ethical fundraising policy that excludes sources deemed unsafe for women. No parent company, private equity, venture capital or public shareholders are involved; governance rests with a board of trustees. The firmographic headcount range of 501-1,000 likely includes sessional staff and active volunteers given that only 18 volunteers were specifically documented contributing 560 hours of support during 2019-20. Leadership transitioned in 2021, with Karen Ingala Smith (14-year tenure and founder of the Femicide Census) succeeded by Jodie Woodward as CEO. Outcome volumes disclosed include 1,488 women, girls and children supported one-to-one in 2019-20, 1,381 in 2020-21, and a cumulative 2,000+ women and girls annually per the CEO.

Name

The Nia Project

Legal name

the nia project

Website

https://niaendingviolence.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The Nia Project is a London-based registered charity, founded in 1975, that delivers specialist support services — including refuges, rape crisis helpline, advocacy and counselling — for women, girls and children subjected to sexual and domestic violence, abuse and prostitution across nine London boroughs, funded by statutory commissioning and charitable grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Grants and Funding: Nia receives funding from government bodies, local authorities, and charitable foundations to deliver specialist violence against women and girls services. Funders include London Councils, MOPAC, Home Office, London Boroughs, Big Lottery, and charitable trusts. The organisation maintains an ethical fundraising policy and does not accept funding from sources with unsafe practices for women.
2. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute to support work with women and girls. The organisation accepts donations through JustGiving and other platforms.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Nia Project is a registered charity delivering specialist, women-led support services for women, girls and children subjected to sexual and domestic violence and abuse, including prostitution. Its portfolio comprises specialist refuges (Emma Project, Daria House, Jan's Place), the East London Rape Crisis helpline and counselling service, Independent Domestic Violence Advocacy (IDVA), the IRIS GP training programme, and targeted exiting-prostitution and multiple-disadvantage services. All services are free at the point of delivery to beneficiaries across nine London boroughs.

Product overview

The Nia Project operates a portfolio of specialist services for women, girls and children who have experienced male violence, including sexual and domestic violence, abuse, and prostitution. The core services include specialist refuges (Emma Project, Daria House, Jan's Place), advocacy services (IDVA, IRIS, WiSER), rape crisis support (East London Rape Crisis Service), and exiting prostitution services (The Anita Project, Prostitution Services, The Casa Project). These services are delivered across multiple London boroughs through both direct provision and strategic partnerships, with The Anita Project addressing gaps for women with multiple disadvantages including those in off-street prostitution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Emma Project: A pioneering refuge and outreach service for women who have experienced domestic abuse and sexual violence and who also use substances problematically.
• Daria House
• East London Rape Crisis Service
• The Anita Project
• Jan's Place

Products and services

• Emma Project A pioneering refuge and outreach service for women who have experienced domestic abuse and sexual violence and who also use substances problematically.
• East London Rape Crisis Service Support for women and girls who have experienced any form of sexual violence, including rape, sexual assault and child sexual abuse, regardless of when it occurred or whether it was reported to police. Includes a dedicated helpline and counselling.
• IDVA (Independent Domestic Violence Advocacy) Quality-accredited Independent Domestic Violence Advocacy supporting women identified as being at the highest risk of murder or serious injury through domestic violence, delivered in Haringey and Hackney.
• The IRIS Project A GP training and referral programme that improves the quality of care given by GP surgeries to women experiencing domestic violence and abuse, delivered locally in City and Hackney and Haringey.
• Daria House Specialist refuge for women to escape sexual exploitation including prostitution. Named after Daria Pionko, who was murdered in Leeds' prostitution managed zone in December 2015.
• Prostitution Services Confidential, non-judgemental support services for women involved in prostitution to help them exit, including access to drug and alcohol services, housing, advocacy and other practical support.
• The Anita Project Specialist service bringing long-term sustainable change for women facing multiple disadvantage and who are involved in prostitution in London, targeted at women using drug and alcohol services, those in off-street prostitution, Romanian women, and those sexually exploited.
• Jan's Place Refuge providing round-the-clock, trauma-informed support for women facing multiple disadvantages who have been subjected to domestic and/or sexual violence, including involvement in prostitution. Named in memory of Mihrican Mustafa (known as Jan or MJ), killed in 2018.
• WiSER (Women's Safe Engagement and Recovery) Delivered in partnership with seven specialist organisations in Haringey, supporting women experiencing VAWG and severe and multiple disadvantage who are frequently excluded from mainstream services.
• The Casa Project Delivered in partnership with five specialist organisations, providing housing and support for women and children who have experienced domestic abuse and are moving on from refuges.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,488 women, girls and children provided one-to-one support in 2019-20
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ascent (London VAWG Consortium)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA pan-London collaboration delivering specialist counselling and advice services to women and girls affected by domestic and sexual violence. Services include one-to-one counselling, advice, group work, legal advice, training and No Recourse to Public Funds assistance. Nia delivers services as part of this partnership project.
• Women's Safe Engagement and Recovery (WiSER)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNia delivers WiSER in partnership with seven specialist organisations in Haringey to women experiencing violence against women and girls and severe multiple disadvantage who are frequently excluded from services.
• The Casa ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNia delivers The Casa Project in partnership with five specialist organisations providing housing and support for women and children who have experienced domestic abuse and are moving on from refuges.
• London Holistic Advocacy Wrap Around Service (LHAWAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLHAWAS No Recourse Fund provides holistic advocacy and wrap-around support to abused migrant women with No Recourse to Public Funds, including accommodation and subsistence support until immigration status is regularised.
• Great Mental Health in HaringeyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNia has been funded by this programme which aims to provide proactive service to women with mental ill health who have been assessed as being at risk of domestic violence to improve their safety and mental health.
• Woman's Place UKcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration to defend women's single-sex spaces and promote the book 'Defending Women's Spaces' by Karen Ingala Smith to MPs and elected representatives.
• Southall Black SisterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Young Women and Girls team for collaborative work improving access to feminist spaces for Black and Minoritised young women and girls.
• Osez le Féminisme (Dare to be Feminist)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench feminist organisation. Nia supported as voluntary intervener in ECHR case regarding BDSM and consent.
• We Can't Consent to ThisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK campaign organisation. Nia supported as voluntary intervener in ECHR case regarding consent in BDSM contexts.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Solace Women's Aid: London-focused specialist charity providing refuges, advocacy, and recovery services for women and children affected by domestic and sexual violence. Directly comparable in geography (London), service portfolio (refuges, IDVA, recovery), and beneficiary focus.
• Southall Black Sisters: Specialist Black and minoritised women's charity providing advice, advocacy, and refuge services for women experiencing domestic and sexual violence. Directly comparable as a London-based specialist VAWG organization with feminist service model; Nia has a formal partnership with SBS for the Young Women and Girls team.
• Rape Crisis England & Wales: National federation of Rape Crisis Centres providing specialist support for survivors of sexual violence. Directly comparable to Nia's East London Rape Crisis Service; Nia holds the federation's National Service Standard accreditation.
• Refuge: The UK's largest specialist domestic abuse charity operating refuges, advocacy, and helpline services for women and children. Directly comparable to Nia in core service model (refuges, IDVA, national helpline) and target beneficiaries, though operating at substantially greater national scale.
• Respect: UK charity working with perpetrators, survivors, and professionals to end domestic abuse. Comparable as a sector body operating in the VAWG space with quality accreditation frameworks; partially overlapping with Nia's IDVA and perpetrator-related work.
• Women's Aid Federation of England: National federation coordinating a network of specialist domestic abuse services across England. Directly comparable as a sector coordinator and quality standard holder (Women's Aid National Quality Standard, the same accreditation Nia holds) for VAWG service delivery.
• Women's Trust: London-based charity providing free counselling and support for women affected by domestic abuse. Comparable as a London-focused VAWG service provider offering therapeutic interventions to Nia's target beneficiary group.

Broad incumbents

• NSPCC: Major UK children's charity with significant child protection and domestic abuse response services. Partially comparable to Nia's work with children affected by domestic violence (52 children supported via Play Therapy), though operating at far greater national scale and broader scope.

Emerging players

• Centre for Women's Justice: UK charity using strategic litigation and advocacy to advance women's rights within the criminal justice system, particularly on VAWG. Comparable to Nia in feminist legal intervention work (e.g., Re:C Court of Appeal case) and policy advocacy stance.
• Galop: UK charity supporting LGBT+ people experiencing domestic abuse, sexual violence, and hate crime. Comparable as a specialist VAWG provider with feminist service ethos, but serves a different primary beneficiary cohort and operates at national scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nia_endingVAWG
• Facebookfacebook.com/nia-251422554894630

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Nia Project