Women@TheWell

What Women@TheWell does

Women at The Well is a UK registered charity (Charity Number 1118613) and Company Limited by Guarantee (05664659) founded in 2007 by Sr. Lynda Dearlove in King's Cross, London. The organization delivers three interconnected core services: a women-only drop-in centre at 54-55 Birkenhead Street offering hot meals, showers, laundry, clothing, toiletries and holistic therapies Monday-Thursday 12:30pm-3:30pm; a Support & Advocacy team providing one-to-one casework on housing, health, legal, welfare and abuse-related matters; and a mobile Outreach service operating day and night shifts across London to reach women rough sleeping or in hostels. In 2025, the drop-in recorded 3,521 visits (its highest ever) and the outreach team met 682 women, while a 12-person staff team supported around 200 women with long-term casework.

The organization is funded entirely through private charitable donations, grants and legacies and explicitly receives no statutory funding. Its beneficiaries are women affected by or at risk of sexual exploitation, including those involved in prostitution, trafficking, 'sex for rent', 'survival sex' or 'cuckooing', as well as homeless and precariously housed women. A one-week October 2025 sample of 42 women found 86% had experienced childhood trauma, 98% had mental health issues, 64% had been or were experiencing homelessness, and 76% had experienced domestic abuse, underscoring the complexity of need.

Distribution is direct and place-based: services are delivered at the King's Cross centre and through street outreach, supplemented by referrals from external agencies. The organization pursues a community-led go-to-market with no commercial sales motion, relying on the website (watw.org.uk), JustGiving, email newsletters, events and campaigning/PR for awareness and fundraising. It is also an active UK member of international advocacy coalitions including SPACE International, CAP International, the European Women's Lobby and Caritas Social Action Network. Sarah Green leads the organization as CEO following the 2024 transition from founder Lynda Dearlove, who continues as Special Advisor. In 2026-2027 the organization was named Camden Mayor's Charity.

Name

Women@TheWell

Legal name

Women at The Well

Website

https://watw.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Women@TheWell is a UK charity founded in 2007 that runs a women-only drop-in centre in King's Cross, one-to-one advocacy casework, and street outreach across London, supporting women affected by or at risk of sexual exploitation through trauma-informed, privately-funded services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Social Services

NAICS

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

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF)

Keywords

• Women's support services
• Sexual exploitation support
• Drop-in centre services
• Outreach advocacy
• Trauma-informed care

Headquarters

HQ city

City Of London

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. Charitable Donations: The organization is funded entirely through charitable donations from individuals, trusts, and foundations. They receive no statutory funding.
2. Donations via JustGiving: Online donations through JustGiving platform for one-time and recurring monthly donations.
3. Legacy Giving: Gifts left in wills by supporters to provide long-term sustainable funding.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Women@TheWell provides free drop-in, outreach, support, and advocacy services for women affected by or at risk of sexual exploitation in London. The organization operates a women-only day centre in King's Cross offering basic needs (meals, showers, laundry, clothing), one-to-one casework and advocacy across housing, health, legal, and welfare, and street outreach to women who cannot access the centre.

Product overview

Women at The Well is a charitable organization offering a unified set of support services for women affected by sexual exploitation, rather than a technology product company. The core offerings consist of three interconnected services: the Drop-In Centre at King's Cross providing basic needs (food, showers, laundry, clothing, activities), Support & Advocacy delivering one-to-one casework and specialist advocacy, and Outreach Services reaching women across London who cannot access the centre. These services operate together to provide unconditional, long-term support for women with complex needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drop-In Centre, King's Cross Women-only day centre open Monday-Thursday 12:30pm to 3:30pm offering hot meals, hot showers, laundry facilities, weather-appropriate clothing, basic toiletries, workshops, holistic therapies, and friendly conversation without any appointment required.
• Support & Advocacy In-house multi-disciplinary support team providing one-to-one advocacy and tailored assistance with housing, homelessness, addictions, mental and physical health, legal advice, welfare support, domestic and sexual abuse referrals, and employment pathways.
• Outreach Services Mobile support service visiting areas of London where women are rough-sleeping, women's hostels, and other settings to provide one-to-one advocacy, crisis support, resettlement assistance, and referrals to women who cannot access the drop-in centre.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,521 visits to drop-in centre in 2025 (highest ever)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SPACE InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational campaigning partner working on issues related to prostitution and sexual exploitation. Women@TheWell shares advocacy and policy work at international levels through this partnership.
• CAP InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive UK member of CAP International. Women@TheWell participates in international abolitionist movement and advocacy. CAP provided statement on ECHR judgement validating French prostitution laws.
• European Women's LobbycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for European-level advocacy on women's issues including prostitution and sexual exploitation.
• Caritas Social Action NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in campaigning for change, part of the Catholic social action network working on social justice issues.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NIA Project: London-based charity supporting women and girls experiencing domestic abuse and sexual violence, including refuge, advocacy, and specialist young women's services. Comparable women-focused service delivery in London.
• Refuge: UK national charity providing specialist support for women and children experiencing domestic abuse, including refuges and advocacy. Comparable in mission focus on supporting women affected by gender-based abuse and exploitation.
• Together Women: UK charity providing gender-specific support for women in the criminal justice system and those affected by exploitation, abuse, and trafficking. Comparable specialist women-only support and advocacy model.
• Women's Aid: UK federation of specialist women's domestic abuse services. Comparable mission, service model (refuges, advocacy, outreach), and policy/advocacy footprint at national level.
• Hestia Housing & Support: London-based charity supporting women affected by domestic abuse, exploitation, and homelessness through refuges, outreach, and advocacy. Highly comparable specialist women-only service model in the same geography.
• Changing Lives: UK charity providing specialist support for women affected by exploitation, trafficking, and homelessness, including trauma-informed advocacy and recovery services. Closely aligned specialist women-only mission.
• Mary Magdalene Foundation: UK charity supporting women affected by prostitution, trafficking, and exploitation through recovery, advocacy, and survivor empowerment. Highly comparable specialist mission and survivor-led approach.

Broad incumbents

• Centrepoint: UK charity supporting young people experiencing homelessness, including specialist young women's services. Comparable in combining direct services, advocacy, and policy influence in the homelessness and vulnerability space.
• St Mungo's: Major London-based charity supporting people experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping, including outreach, recovery, and housing services. Overlapping client population (homeless women in London) and outreach delivery model.
• The Salvation Army UK: Large incumbent charity operating drop-in services, outreach, and anti-trafficking programmes across the UK. Comparable in delivery of frontline services to women in exploitation and homelessness, though much broader in scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/women-thewell

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Women@TheWell