MASH (Manchester Action on Street Health)

What MASH (Manchester Action on Street Health) does

MASH (Manchester Action on Street Health) is a UK registered charity (No 1051754) founded in 1991 in Manchester, United Kingdom, delivering free, trauma-informed health, safety, and emotional wellbeing support to women who sex work across Greater Manchester. Operating from its headquarters at 94-96 Fairfield Street in central Manchester, the charity reaches its service users through a multi-channel model: a weekday drop-in centre, an evening/night-time mobile outreach van on city streets, an on-site nurse-led sexual health clinic, one-to-one case worker support, a freephone helpline, and home/sauna visits. Services are provided free, confidentially, and without appointment, and include needle exchange, condom distribution, food and clothing, sexual health screenings, hardship fund access, and assistance with housing, benefits, crime reporting, and crisis response.

The organisation's core service offerings comprise the MASH Drop-in Centre, the MASH Clinic, the MASH Van outreach programme, Case Work Support, the Hardship Fund, Advice Services, a Referral Service, and the Sue's Space / Trauma-Informed Best Practice Training programme. From a technology standpoint, MASH is a low-tech service organisation rather than a software platform; its differentiated capability is the institutionalised trauma-informed practice methodology and the consistent branded presence of its outreach van on Manchester's streets as a recognised first-responder asset. The operating model is volunteer-leveraged — approximately 100 active volunteers contributed over 2,000 hours in 2024 — supported by a small paid staff of around 27. The organisation operates a GDPR-compliant website using Matomo analytics and is registered with the UK Fundraising Regulator.

MASH is funded entirely through charitable sources, with no fees charged to service users. Revenue is generated via individual donations (including a monthly "Friends of MASH" programme), corporate and trust grants, and match-funded campaigns through The Big Give's Women and Girls Appeal, alongside specific project appeals such as the Raise the Roof campaign and ongoing van-fundraising drives. The service-user base is a single persona — women engaged in street-based and indoor sex work in Greater Manchester — reaching 693 women in FY24/25 (including 341 street sex workers), up from 609 in FY22/23. The charity has received the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service (2018), the UK Charity Governance Award (2022, with a £5,000 unrestricted grant), and a Greater Manchester Police commendation (2026), and is led by Chief Executive Annie Emery with Jackie Driver OBE as Chair of Trustees.

Name

MASH (Manchester Action on Street Health)

Legal name

Manchester Action on Street Health

Website

https://mash.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MASH (Manchester Action on Street Health) is a Manchester-based charity providing free, trauma-informed health, safety, and emotional wellbeing support to women who sex work across Greater Manchester via a drop-in centre, nurse-led sexual health clinic, and mobile outreach van.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Health and Social Support Services for Sex Workers

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

Keywords

• Community health services
• Trauma-informed support
• Sexual health screening
• Mobile outreach services
• Harm reduction support

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

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. Donations and Fundraising: MASH relies primarily on donations from individuals, corporate donors, and fundraising campaigns. The charity runs regular fundraising appeals including monthly giving programs (Friends of MASH), Big Give match funding campaigns, and specific project fundraising (van, roof repairs). Much of the work depends on passionate volunteers.
2. Charitable Grants: MASH receives funding from charitable trusts, foundations, and potentially government/health authority grants to support operational costs and specific service programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

MASH provides free, confidential, non-judgemental, trauma-informed support to women who sex work in Greater Manchester. Its core offerings are a weekday drop-in centre, an on-site sexual health clinic, a mobile outreach van operating on streets at night, one-to-one case work support, advice on safety/housing/legal/financial matters, a Hardship Fund for emergency assistance, and a partner referral pathway. All services are delivered at no cost to service users and are funded by donations, grants, and volunteers.

Product overview

MASH is a charitable organization offering a portfolio of support services for women who sex work, comprising: the Drop-in Centre (a safe physical space offering practical and emotional support, meals, and community); the MASH Clinic (sexual health screenings via an on-site nurse); the Outreach Van (mobile street-based support during evenings/nighttime); Case Work Support (trauma-informed one-to-one support); a Hardship Fund (emergency financial assistance); Advice Services (covering safety, housing, legal, financial matters); Referral Services for partner organizations; and Trauma-Informed Training. The organization operates from Fairfield Street in Manchester and uses its van to reach women in city centre, saunas, and street locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The MASH Van: Outreach vehicle that provides support to women working on Manchester's streets at night
• The MASH Drop-in Centre
• The MASH Clinic
• Sue's Space
• Hardship Fund

Products and services

• The MASH Drop-in Centre A safe, welcoming drop-in space at 94-96 Fairfield Street, Manchester, open every weekday without appointment for women who sex work, providing advice, needle exchange, condoms, nurse access, food and drinks, case worker support, and community. Services are free, confidential, and non-judgemental.
• The MASH Clinic An on-site sexual health clinic run by a MASH nurse, offering full sexual health screenings and related healthcare services to women who sex work, accessed via the drop-in centre or by appointment.
• The MASH Van (Outreach) A mobile outreach service taken to areas where women are working on streets at night, providing safety, care, support, practical items (condoms, food, personal attack alarms, clothing, toiletries), and acting as a first responder presence for women who have been attacked or are experiencing mental health crises. Includes on-foot outreach in Manchester, Rochdale, Oldham, and Bury.
• Case Work Support One-to-one support from MASH case workers providing non-judgemental, trauma-informed assistance with issues such as safety, housing, the law, money, drugs and alcohol, sexual health, and emotional wellbeing.
• Hardship Fund Emergency financial assistance for women who sex work who are in crisis or need essential items for moving into a new home, including mobile phones, bus passes, kitchen utensils, and ID documentation.
• Advice Services Free, confidential guidance and support on safety, sexual health, housing, drugs and alcohol, the law, and money matters, delivered by MASH case workers.
• Referral Service A service allowing partner charities, agencies, or individuals to refer women who could benefit from MASH's support, providing a structured referral pathway into the drop-in, clinic, outreach, and case work services.
• Sue's Space and MASH Trauma-Informed Best Practice Training Training services delivered by MASH focused on trauma-informed best practice for professionals working with vulnerable populations, combined with the Sue's Space Service User Advisory Panel.

Quantifiable outcome

• 693 women supported in 2024/25, including 341 street sex workers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Greater Manchester Integrated CarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 July 2019Jackie Driver OBE, Associate Director for Equality and Inclusion at Greater Manchester Integrated Care, joined MASH as Chair of Trustees in June 2024, bringing expertise in health and social care integration.
• The Big GivecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMASH participates in The Big Give's match funding campaigns, including the Women and Girls Appeal. Donations made through the Big Give platform during campaign periods are matched, doubling the impact of each donation. This is a key annual fundraising partnership.
• Our RoomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in organizing the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers event. Jointly coordinates awareness activities and memorial events with MASH.
• National Ugly MugscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in coordinating International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers activities. National Ugly Mugs works to protect sex workers from violence.
• LGBT FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in organizing International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers events. LGBT Foundation provides support services relevant to marginalized communities.
• Manchester City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in coordinating International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers and other community events. MASH works with MCC on initiatives supporting women who sex work.
• FirecaskminorOthersVolunteers from Firecask created a short animation based on Sarah's story for Sex Worker Pride Day, demonstrating creative partnership support for the organization.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Open Doors (East London): Open Doors supports women involved in sex work in East London through trauma-informed outreach and one-to-one support, making it a close operational peer to MASH across services, model, and population.
• Basis Yorkshire: Basis Yorkshire is a sex-worker-led charity providing support, advocacy, and sexual health services across Yorkshire, directly comparable to MASH in target population, service mix (drop-in, outreach, casework), and trauma-informed ethos.
• Streetlight UK: Streetlight UK works directly with women affected by prostitution and exploitation, providing trauma-informed support and pathway services. Overlaps significantly with MASH on target population and casework approach.
• National Ugly Mugs (NUM): NUM is a UK-wide organization protecting sex workers from violence through intelligence sharing and reporting tools. MASH names NUM as a strategic partner on the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, indicating highly overlapping mission and constituency.
• Praed Street Project (one80+): one80+ (formerly Praed Street Project) provides outreach, casework and sexual health support to women in sex work in London. Directly comparable in channel mix (van, drop-in, casework) and target population, differing only by geography.

Broad incumbents

• Centrepoint: Centrepoint is a major UK youth homelessness charity. MASH's housing work and Housing First engagement overlap with Centrepoint's mission, though Centrepoint serves a broader (younger) population without MASH's sex-work specialization.
• Women's Aid: Women's Aid is the national federation for domestic abuse support services in England. MASH's violence-against-sex-workers work and safety advice sit adjacent to Women's Aid's mission, making it a broad incumbent in related but distinct women's safety services.
• LGBT Foundation: LGBT Foundation is a Greater Manchester-based charity supporting LGBTQ+ communities, listed as a direct partner of MASH on awareness campaigns. Adjacent in supporting marginalized populations and geographically co-located, though not directly serving the same sex-work cohort.
• Shelter (Greater Manchester): Shelter provides housing advice and homelessness services nationally, including Greater Manchester. MASH's housing-related casework and Housing First engagement are functionally adjacent to Shelter's housing services for the overlap in their service-user populations.

Regional players

• SCOT-PEP: SCOT-PEP is a Scottish sex-worker-led charity offering similar outreach, advocacy and health services to women in the sex industry. Comparable in operating model and population served, but geographically focused on Scotland rather than competing in Manchester.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mashmanchester
• Facebookfacebook.com/MASHinManchester
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mashmanchester
• Instagraminstagram.com/mashmanchester

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 MASH (Manchester Action on Street Health)