The country’s youngest MP has given an extraordinary donation to help protect Nottingham’s sex workers from harm.
Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East, has donated £7,000 to POW Nottingham as part of her “worker’s wage” pledge.
She said: “Workers need a pay rise – carers, teaching assistants, nurses – and I’ll take mine when they take theirs,”
After Whittome was elected to Parliament last December she explained she would only keep £35,000 of her MP’s salary of over £81,000.
And she pledged she would gift the rest to local causes.
POW is a non-profit organisation founded to protect the rights and health of sex workers in Nottingham.
The charity is an outreach service which offers advice and information on problems such as immigration, safety, debt and welfare.
It also aids education and suggests guidance on leaving the industry where needed.
Whittome said: “I am grateful for the vital work POW does, promoting the rights and dignity of sex workers in our city.
“Women in the sex industry often come from marginalised communities, face high rates of exploitation and violence, and the stigma and secrecy surrounding their occupation further puts them at risk of harm and makes it harder to quit if they choose to.”
It partners with NHS Sexual Health Services to provide health screening, contraception and sexual health treatment, and runs a specialist drug clinic together with the NHS and Nottingham Recovery Network.
They have also been giving out hats, gloves and umbrellas to its service users during the harsher weathe
Deidre Bowen, CEO of POW Nottingham said: “On behalf of POW Nottingham, I would like to extend a massive thank you to Nadia Whittome for her generous and heartfelt donation.
“It will help us to continue to support our often overlooked and marginalised service users.
“On a personal note, as Chief Executive Officer of this remarkable and empowering organisation, I am proud of what the team has achieved so far, in what has been a very difficult year.
“Their resilience, passion and dedication never ceases to amaze me.”
Earlier this year, Ms Whittome also announced a £8,000 donation to the St Ann’s Advice Centre.