Ashiana Sheffield

What Ashiana Sheffield does

Ashiana Sheffield is a registered charity (Charity Number 1120401) and private company limited by guarantee (company number 5853854) founded in 1981 and headquartered in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom. The organisation provides specialist support services to Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee (BAMER) adults, children, and young people fleeing domestic and sexual abuse, including forced marriage, human trafficking, female genital mutilation (FGM), gang violence, and honour-based violence. Core service lines include refuge accommodation, outreach support, telephone helpline, drop-in services, structured groups and courses (ESOL, confidence-building, parenting, healthy relationships), a No Recourse to Public Funds support pathway, and the Building Better Opportunities employment programme. Although Sheffield-based, the organisation delivers outreach across Yorkshire and Humberside, the North East, East Midlands, and North West England, and since Winter 2020/2021 has operated as a specialist sub-contractor to The Salvation Army under the UK Government's five-year Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC), extending reach across England and Wales.

The organisation has approximately 50 employees and is led by CEO Nicola Lambe with Daljit Kaur serving as Chair and Non-Executive Chief Officer. Ashiana operates without proprietary technology platforms; service delivery relies on casework, multi-agency coordination, and culturally and gender-sensitive practice delivered in over 20 languages. Revenue is generated entirely through grants, donations, government contracts, and paid training/consultancy services — services to beneficiaries are provided free of charge. Visible funding includes multiple Big Lottery Fund grants (notably £750,000 over four years via the Sheffield Recovery & Empowerment Partnership and a £2.7 million Big Lottery/ESF BBO Partnership share), a £3,000 ROSA UK grant for FGM work, and the Salvation Army MSVCC channel for the Modern Slavery contract. The organisation has won the Thomson Reuters Foundation Stop Slavery Award (Collaborative Award, 2020) and holds ISO 14001 environmental management certification. Key partners include The Salvation Army, British Red Cross, Hestia (STEP Project), South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, VIDA Sheffield, Haven House, YWHP, Chilypep, and ROSA UK.

Name

Ashiana Sheffield

Legal name

Ashiana Sheffield

Website

https://ashianasheffield.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ashiana Sheffield is a Sheffield-based UK charity, founded in 1981, providing specialist support — refuge, outreach, helpline, and training — to BAMER women, children, and trafficking survivors across Yorkshire, the North of England, and (via the MSVCC) England and Wales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sheffield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Ashiana receives financial donations from individuals, corporations, and community groups. Donations can be made via bank transfer or online giving platforms. These contributions support the organization's operational costs and direct service delivery to beneficiaries.
2. Grant Funding: Ashiana receives grants from government bodies and lottery funds including Big Lottery Fund, which has awarded multiple grants for specific projects such as the 'Combatting Violence through Empowerment' 3-year project and the 'Combatting Human Trafficking' project. Additional funding comes from organizations like ROSA UK for FGM-related services.
3. Government Contracts: Ashiana operates as a specialist partner to The Salvation Army providing support to adult victims of modern slavery through the Government's Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC). This five-year government contract provides funding for accommodation and support services for trafficking survivors.
4. Training Services: Ashiana offers paid training and consultancy services to other organizations, including multi-agency training sessions on honour-based violence, human trafficking, and FGM, as well as customized organizational training for statutory and private agencies.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ashiana Sheffield provides specialist support services to BAMER women and children fleeing domestic abuse, sexual abuse, forced marriage, honour-based violence, female genital mutilation, gang violence and human trafficking. Services include safe refuge accommodation, regional outreach support across Yorkshire, Humberside, the North East, East Midlands and North West England, one-to-one casework, women-only groups and courses (ESOL, confidence building, parenting), telephone helpline support, drop-in sessions, the Building Better Opportunities employment programme and No Recourse to Public Funds support.

Product overview

Ashiana Sheffield is a specialist charity providing a comprehensive range of support services for Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee (BAMER) communities affected by violence and abuse. The organisation offers a holistic suite of services including refuge accommodation, specialist support programmes, educational groups and courses, telephone helplines, drop-in sessions, and training services. The core offerings include Violence and Abuse Support Services, Refuge Accommodation, Groups and Courses (ESOL, Confidence Building, Parenting, etc.), Telephone Support, Drop-In Support, Building Better Opportunities employment programme, Specialist Training, and No Recourse to Public Funds Support. With over 30 years of experience, Ashiana operates across Sheffield and Yorkshire regions, working with statutory and voluntary sector partners to deliver culturally and gender-sensitive support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Violence and Abuse Support Services Specialist support for BAMER adults, children and young people experiencing domestic and sexual abuse, forced marriage, honour-based violence, FGM, gang violence and human trafficking, delivered through one-to-one casework, safety planning and recovery support.
• Refuge Accommodation Services Safe accommodation for BAMER women who have experienced domestic violence, sexual violence, forced marriage, honour-based violence and other forms of abuse, including accommodation for survivors of human trafficking and their children.
• Groups and Courses Programme Women-only support groups and educational courses including ESOL, Confidence and Self Esteem, Support Groups, Service User Involvement Group, Healthy Relationships, Parenting and Creative Arts and DIY.
• Telephone Support Confidential helpline and telephone support service available during office hours (Mon-Fri, 9am to 5pm) on 0114 255 5740, providing advice and guidance to those affected by violence and abuse.
• Drop-In Support Service Weekly drop-in service offering one-off support and information, held on Tuesdays at 2.00-4.00pm, which can help identify longer-term support needs.
• Building Better Opportunities (BBO) Employment and training support programme offering groups, courses and support to remove barriers to employment, including ESOL, conversation classes and personal development support for adults with physical and mental health conditions, learning disabilities and complex needs.
• Specialist Training Services Paid training courses and consultancy on recognising warning signs and supporting victims of forced marriage, honour-based violence, FGM and human trafficking, plus conference speaking and organisational consultancy for statutory and partner agencies.
• No Recourse to Public Funds Support Specialised support for women with no recourse to public funds, including assistance with housing, welfare and resolving immigration status.

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of victims of modern slavery supported since 2011
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• South Yorkshire Modern Slavery PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 March 2021Ashiana is the lead partner in the South Yorkshire Modern Slavery Partnership, which was established to raise awareness of modern slavery with key workers and groups. The partnership launched the 'Curiosity Counts' campaign in March 2021, funded by the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner. The partnership aims to increase understanding of modern slavery so partners can recognise signs of exploitation and report concerns.
• The Salvation ArmycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2020Ashiana serves as a specialist partner to The Salvation Army providing support to adult victims of modern slavery in England and Wales through the Government's Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC). This five-year government contract, effective from Winter 2020/2021, builds on relationships developed since 2011. Ashiana provides accommodation to women and their children as well as high-level outreach support to male and female victims of trafficking living in the wider community. The partnership enables survivors to receive support from the point of rescue through to independent living.
• ROSA UKminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2017Ashiana partnered with ROSA UK to host FGM learning events and develop services. ROSA UK provided £3,000 funding to help develop Ashiana's FGM services, including the development of community champions who work alongside Ashiana to raise awareness in affected communities.
• British Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAshiana partnered with British Red Cross and Hestia on the STEP Project (European-funded), which piloted long-term effective support for survivors of modern slavery pre and post the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). The published report offers key recommendations to improve survivor support and evidences the need for support both pre and post-NRM.
• HestiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAshiana partnered with Hestia and British Red Cross on the STEP Project, which piloted long-term effective support for survivors of modern slavery pre and post the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). The project was awarded the Thomson Reuters Foundation Stop Slavery Award for Collaborative Achievement in 2020.
• Police and Safeguarding ServicescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAshiana works with police teams and safeguarding units, receiving referrals and collaborating on cases. The organization has worked with South Yorkshire Police to develop their FGM response, with Ashiana's FGM support group helping to develop training materials and resources.
• Social Care ServicescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAshiana receives referrals from Children's and Adult Social Care Services and liaises with these agencies to ensure the best possible outcomes for service users. Casework is typically conducted with service user consent.
• Health ProfessionalsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAshiana works with GPs, Health Visitors, Hospitals, and other health professionals who refer clients and collaborate on supporting survivors of violence and abuse with health-related needs.
• Housing TeamsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAshiana works with housing teams to secure accommodation for survivors, particularly those with no recourse to public funds who require specialized housing support.
• VIDA Sheffield, Haven House, YWHP, ChilypepcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAshiana is part of the Sheffield Recovery & Empowerment Partnership with VIDA Sheffield, Haven House, YWHP Sexual Abuse Support Service, and Chilypep. This partnership, funded by Big Lottery Fund with £750,000 over 4 years, addresses the shortage of longer-term therapeutic services for women and girls recovering from abuse. The partnership includes service user involvement through co-production with Chilypep.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Southall Black Sisters: Southall Black Sisters is a UK charity providing specialist support for BAMER women experiencing domestic and sexual violence, forced marriage, and honour-based abuse. Directly comparable to Ashiana in mission, target population, and culturally-specialized service model, though based in London rather than Yorkshire.
• Latin American Women's Rights Service (LAWRS): LAWRS is a UK charity providing advice, counseling, and advocacy to Latin American BAMER women affected by domestic violence, sexual violence, and trafficking. Comparable to Ashiana in offering multilingual, culturally-specialized support to BAMER women fleeing abuse.
• FORWARD (Foundation for Women's Health, Research and Development): FORWARD is a UK charity focused on FGM, child marriage, and the sexual and reproductive health rights of African women. Directly comparable to Ashiana's FGM-specific service offering and community champion model for awareness raising.
• Jewish Women's Aid: Jewish Women's Aid is a UK charity providing culturally-sensitive domestic abuse support for Jewish women and their children. Comparable to Ashiana in targeting a specific cultural community with language- and faith-sensitive support services.
• Karma Nirvana: Karma Nirvana is a UK charity specializing in supporting victims of honour-based abuse and forced marriage. Directly comparable to Ashiana on the honour-based violence and forced marriage service line, with national helpline reach and training offerings.
• IKWRO (Iranian and Kurdish Women's Rights Organisation): IKWRO is a UK charity providing advocacy, refuge, and counseling to BAMER women affected by domestic violence, forced marriage, and honour-based abuse. Closely comparable in offering culturally and language-sensitive support to vulnerable BAMER women, including FGM-related services.
• Hestia: Hestia is a London-based charity providing domestic abuse refuge, modern slavery support, and recovery services. Directly comparable to Ashiana on the modern slavery partnership (joint STEP Project with British Red Cross) and refuge provision.

Broad incumbents

• Refuge: Refuge is the UK's largest domestic abuse charity, operating national helplines and a wide network of refuges. Overlaps with Ashiana on core refuge and DV support but serves the broader population rather than specializing in BAMER communities.
• Women's Aid Federation of England: Women's Aid is the national umbrella federation for domestic abuse services in England. Comparable as a sector incumbent but operates at federation/advocacy level rather than as a direct BAMER-specialized service provider like Ashiana.
• The Salvation Army UK: The Salvation Army holds the prime Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract with the UK Government and sub-contracts Ashiana for specialist BAMER delivery. A key strategic partner and broader social services incumbent operating well beyond Ashiana's specialist BAMER niche.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AshianaShef
• Facebookfacebook.com/AshianaSheffield
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ashiana-sheffield

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Ashiana Sheffield