Help Save SafeSpace

As the only drop-in space for under- and unhoused sex workers and 2SLGBTQ+ folks in the City of London, SafeSpace is critical to the community, and we need your help.

Urgently, we have until March 31 to raise $50,000 or SafeSpace will be unable to work towards next steps in stabilizing our operations.

In the Spring of 2024, SafeSpace was made aware that funding from the City would not be renewed, even as the needs of the communities we serve was increasing. In an effort to continue meeting the critical, life-saving needs of our community, we worked hard to remain open - against large opposition - and ultimately had to shutter our doors in October 2024. Operating in the absence of stable core funding has subsequently resulted in a short fall that SafeSpace desperately needs to recover to begin to re-stabilize and fundraise to begin efforts to find a new home, and re-open. As part of that goal, we are returning to our origins as a volunteer-led organization, and Coordinators, Volunteers, and Board members are working in a volunteer capacity to fundraise for SafeSpace’s future. Beyond this, we are working with community partners to secure stable, core funding for our annual operating costs.

For those who might not know, in 2022 SafeSpace was called upon to help meet a massive and urgent community need, and participate in the Cold Weather Response through the City of London. We said scaled up fast, opening our doors at 679 Dundas St in early 2023, and opened emergency, overnight beds seven nights per week. As a drop in space, we also provided washrooms, laundry, food, harm reduction supplies, systems navigation, low barrier testing, connection to services and crisis support five days per week. We worked alongside other organizations to help bring encampments down from 102 to 40 at the height of emergency.

Why It Matters

A large percentage of harm reduction services accessed by women in London come through SafeSpace;

We were the key support for the City’s strategic pillar for Women, Girls, Gender-Diverse and Trans people;

We don’t just provide supplies, we build trust, safety, and community in a way that other agencies have noticed and want to learn from.

Over the next three months, our focus will be developing a sustainable funding model so SafeSpace - and more importantly, the community we serve - are never in this position again.

Your donation today isn’t just a stopgap. It’s an investment in making sure SafeSpace can continue its work for years to come. We know times are tough. But if you can support SafeSpace in solidarity with our team and with sex workers, there is no greater time than now to make a significant impact.