The women behind our women’s services – Women’s Month 2026

Meet Zara, Isabel, Angela and Maud, just a few of the women at the frontline of our women’s services at Glass Door Homeless Charity, in an interview about what it’s like supporting women experiencing homelessness. 

This winter has been our third year running a Women’s Winter Night Shelter and dedicated Women’s Drop-in service. We also ensure that our year-round Casework service is gender and trauma-informed so that we can offer suitable support for women experiencing homelessness in London at all times of year. 

For this blog, we caught up with a volunteer, night shelter manager and two caseworkers supporting our Women’s Winter Night Shelter and Women’s Casework Drop-in to learn more about what it’s like to work with women experiencing homelessness, and why it’s important that we run women-led services at Glass Door. 

Meet Zara & Isabel, two of our Women’s Drop-in Caseworkers 

Can you describe what a normal day might look like for you at the women’s drop-in? 

Zara – The volunteers arrive and start setting up. Someone is always bringing lots of nice cake and bread, so the volunteers start cutting it up and getting the teas and coffees ready, and sometimes we have a little chat with them in the beginning. 

Isabel – Guests start arriving around 1:30 pm, when the drop-in opens, but sometimes they arrive quite a lot earlier. They're very keen, the women love the women's drop-in because they can come and be together. It's quite sweet, sometimes they come in a group and sit on the sofa chatting, and it’s a bit of time for them to relax and bond. 

Why is it important to provide space for women? 

Zara – Women are underrepresented in homeless data and research because their homelessness manifests in different ways. So having a dedicated space for them can make them feel seen, important and prioritised at drop-ins, as our other partner drop-ins are male dominated.  

It’s not even just for women who are scared and traumatised by men. That can be the case, but it’s also for women who just want a bit of peace and quiet, or who culturally don’t usually mix with men. 

Isabel – It might be uncomfortable for women who are already feeling vulnerable, in a waiting room with basically just men. I also think it's harder for women to come forward and ask for help. Sometimes they can feel silent.  

I have some guests who will only come to see me on a Monday because there are no men there. So I think it's just very helpful to say to women like this is a women's space and immediately they'll think, I'm going to feel safe there. 

What is it like working with women guests at Glass Door? 

Zara – I mean, I didn't like doing it initially. It can be very high pressure. Pregnancy, complex mental health...it was quite intimidating at first. There's also a vulnerability to a woman that you can relate to as well, and that touches close to home, when usually I like having that distance.  

But it's been actually very rewarding. There's a familiarity there. We laugh and joke. There’s a womanhood and sisterhood that you don't get with men. There’s also more evasiveness with women, but that’s a survival technique that they’ve learnt. 

Isabel – I feel like sometimes it's easier to build up good rapport with women in a way that you don't necessarily always get with men, because as a woman, you always try to maintain such strict professionalism with men. I do that with women too, of course, but there's a bit more of an ease and you can relate on a woman-to-woman level because there isn’t so much of a power imbalance. 

I think women's homelessness is very different to men and it's always a bit more complicated. There's a lot more difficulty in terms of like getting address history. And it feels that there's an urgency in a way that there sometimes isn't with men just because of how vulnerable some of these women are. Things can quickly lead back into them being exploited and abused. 

What would you want people to know about women’s homelessness? 

Isabel – People always think that homelessness is a man's issue. But I think the way that women are homeless is so much more complicated and yet under the radar. More often, men are verified as homeless on CHAIN because they’ve been seen rough sleeping and there's a register of where they've been. Women you don't see rough sleeping in the same way, so it isn’t as easy to link them with services and councils because the same boxes haven't been ticked. This is often one of the biggest challenges with women. 

They don’t necessarily come to us and give us all the information; you have to dig a bit deeper sometimes. I think for a woman to approach a homeless service and then to work with a caseworker, there’s a lot more trust building than with men, at least from what I've experienced. Men might come in and tell us they’re mentally ill, but women normally try to act like they’ve got it together, because there is shame attached. 

Zara – Especially if they've got children, they’re told, you're not a good mother. There are so many expectations put on women. That's why they can mask in a way that's very prevalent to women, because of forced societal pressures. Women have to hide their vulnerabilities to survive, to not be preyed on. It's a learned behaviour.  

I have also heard comments like, if I was a woman, I could just get housed. That’s absolutely not the case. I’m still fighting for priority need or for even just a little bit of support with mental health services. There is some push back regardless of whether you’re a man or a woman, in my opinion.  I do also wish there was more female services in housing. 

Meet Angela, one of our Women’s Night Shelter Managers 

Can you describe what a normal day might look like for you? 

A typical night for the night shelter is to collect your van at 5 pm. Once you've collected the van, you ensure that the van is fully stocked for the actual evening, whether that's their breakfast, their coffee, their mats, our first aid kits, cutlery, cleaning stuff, etcetera. Then I greet the volunteers and ensure that the volunteers have what they need for the women that are arriving at 7:15 pm.  

The women come attend the night shelter and they're provided with tea, coffee and biscuits to start and then they're provided with a three-course meal and a chat. But then by 9 pm, we will start clearing up so that the guests can actually bed down during the evening. 

Why did you choose to work for Glass Door? 

I chose to work at Glass Door because I believe what they said that they can do, turn lives around, contribute towards making a better life for those who are homeless, and that they accept everybody regardless and without prejudice.   

Why is it important to provide space for women? 

It is important to provide space for women firstly for the safety aspects. This enables them to know that they can start their life over again. It provides confidence, dignity, friendship amongst each other, and stability.  

Night shelters for women allow them to be safe, allows them to be able to express themselves more because they're working with a woman, it allows them to be more comfortable and to bond with other women as well. 

No matter how busy I would be, because there's days when you're busy and you don't have time, I would go to every single person in the shelter and ask, are you OK? Every single person. Every single night.  

So, I knew all of them. I knew when they came through that door and they weren't feeling good, I knew. That would allow me, later when things were quiet, to go and talk to that one and say, are you OK, sweetheart? How's your day? What's been happening? So then again, I can try and make them feel better before I leave.  

It's not just like ticking a box. Because at the end of the day, they’re like me and you. I always say to people in life that we're all the same. 

So when a woman comes into the shelter, I think that it's really, really important that they know. Do you know what? I am a human being. I'm somebody very, very special, and I can go out and work and have a family and friends, and I can really grow and be something great. And I tell them, I'll bet my life on that. 

Meet Maud, a Women’s Night Shelter Volunteer 

What is an evening volunteering in the women’s shelter like? 

The evening starts with volunteers from what we call the ‘chop chop’ team, coming early to cut all the vegetables that will end up in the soup and pies, as well as cabbage and mash. As more volunteers arrive, we set up tables, a hot drink station, and prepare some biscuits plates for guests to have straight away when they arrive. 

When we open, we offer the women hot drinks – it’s the occasion to ask how their day was. By the end of the season, we recognise many faces, and it’s nice to do a weekly check-in. When there’s time, some volunteers sit down with the guests to eat dinner, and it’s really nice to have a conversation with them, and share a meal. After dinner, we clean up everything with the help of the guests, and leave them to their night! 

Overall, and despite the circumstances that bring these women to the shelter, there is always a light mood at the shelter. I’m so grateful for all the volunteers giving their time every week, bringing such good energy and joy. 

Why do you volunteer for Glass Door? 

Homelessness is a topic that is close to my heart. I have always been passionate about social justice, and the fact that so many people don’t have a roof over their head, or somewhere safe and secure to live in, is unacceptable to me. After working for Glass Door for a few years, my career took me elsewhere, but I stayed very close to their great work, and decided to join the first women’s night shelter circuit, to keep supporting Glass Door, and of course its beneficiaries. 

In times where it can be hard to find hope for the future, I find volunteering really keeps me grounded, and helps me find purpose. What we do as volunteers isn’t life changing for guests, but I hope we’re able to offer them a peaceful night in a warm environment. 

Why is it important to provide space for women? 

We know women's homelessness is hidden, because they can feel more vulnerable. It is so important to provide spaces where they can feel at ease, surrounded and supported by other women. Safe spaces are crucial for some women to build the confidence they may not feel able to in mixed places. 

What would you want people to know about women’s homelessness? 

I’d want people to know that it affects everyone, and really challenge their views of homelessness. I would also like them to know how support from caseworkers, shelter staff and volunteers is important.  

In the current climate where some well-established organisations supporting women who experience homelessness are closing down, it’s more important than ever to shed light on those issues, raise awareness and raise money so that incredible organisations like Glass Door can continue to provide dedicated and human support.