.png)
It’s always a sad day when a member of the team here at The New Futures Project moves on to do new things.
Well, we’re really going to miss Lisa Swann-Davie, who managed our drop-in service until a couple of weeks ago.
Lisa, who first came to the New Futures Project as a student social worker before joining us full-time, looks back on the highs and lows of her time with us.
“I knew nothing about New Futures at the time”, she said. “I remember I was excited because it was my first student placement.
“It was daunting at first because it was so busy here. As I began to settle in, I began to really enjoy the work.
“I tried to get involved with everything that was going on. I really loved the atmosphere here and I thrived on the crisis work.”
After her student placement ended in May 2022, she came back pretty much straight away in a part-time post which took her through to the end of the year.
After completing her BA in social work at Leicester’s De Montfort University, she returned in June 2023, initially as a member of staff with our drop-in service and, later, its manager.
She told us: “I love the interaction with the women who come here.
“Even though we’re not always able to resolve every issue, I know we’ve had a big impact on many women’s lives. There are hundreds of people I’ll remember from my time here, hundreds.”
Lisa, who is now working in adult social work, said there have been some difficult times.
“This is a high-risk client group. You don’t want to think about it really, but there are deaths,” she said.
“That has always been one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to deal with.
“You get to know people who come here on such a personal level and all of those deaths, no matter a person’s lifestyle, have been shocking.
“I’ve spoken to those women’s relatives and friends as well as women here and done my best to support them. That’s been hard at times.
“The women at the project sometimes tell us that someone has died and you can see that realisation in them that they know it could have been them.
“That’s really hard too because you’re trying to deal with your own emotions and you have to ‘brave face’ it and support each other as a team.
“There are brilliant days here though. It can be so busy but there is non-stop laughing.
“That’s the great thing about this project. The women who come in do not necessarily forget what’s going on in their lives, but they can relax here.
“We’ve always wanted to give them feeling that this place is a home for them. I can’t say how much I’m going to miss it all.
“New Futures has been a massive part of my life for two-and-a-half years.
“The best thing about my time here has been the chance to work with such an amazing and supportive team.
“Even if you’ve had a rubbish day there’s always been that chance to sit down with everyone and decompress before you go home.
“Above all, I love that the women feel so comfortable here, it’s a safe space for them.
“Even if they come here and shout at me and the others because everything in their lives is up in the air, we are here for them.”
Della Kagure Brown, director of The New Futures Project, said: “Although we are sorry to see Lisa leave us, we are delighted she has agreed to join our board of trustees – so she will still be a huge part of the project.
“Lisa is and will remain a very valued member of our team.
“Her enthusiasm and commitment, in addition to her expertise, have been invaluable in managing our drop-in.
“Good luck with your new job Lisa. We will miss you.”
The New Futures Project was set up more than 20 years ago to support women involved in sex work.
However, we have evolved into a comprehensive welfare and counselling service for women and young people dealing with sexual abuse or exploitation, domestic violence, trafficking, poverty and debt, substance use or mental ill-health.
Call us on 0116 251 0803 or send us a message at: info@new-futures.org.uk
You can find us at 71 London Road, Leicester, LE2 0PE.
We publish a monthly newsletter to tell the stories of the women we support and to round up all the things we’ve been doing.
Sign up here to have it delivered to your inbox.
Comments