Support and safety in Sandwell

Unemployment in the West Midlands soared with the decline of the manufacturing industry, and its effects are still felt half a century later. In 2025, Sandwell was named the fifth most deprived area of the UK.

Beth, who runs WiSE in Sandwell, grew up in a community that endured the same economic downturn. “I’m from Middlesbrough, but the two places greatly parallel each other,” she explains. “When all of the factories shut down, people were left jobless and they turned to alcohol.”

Despite its social challenges, Sandwell is resilient with a strong sense of community, and Beth enthuses about the people who access the borough’s drug and alcohol services.

But women face unique barriers to accessing mainstream support with alcohol and drugs. “It’s mostly men at our main service,” Beth explains. “If there are ten people in a group, it’d be eight males and two females, if that. If you’ve experienced abuse, it's not an environment where you’re going to feel comfortable.”

“I ran an acupuncture group,” Beth recalls, “and a woman was sat across from a man I later learnt had sexually assaulted her. It’s not something I thought of before I started doing WiSE.”

That’s why the WiSE Project is designed around a simple but powerful principle: women need safe, separate spaces where they can feel seen, heard and understood.

“Always somebody here”

“Imagine you’ve got a female relative who’s been through trauma, and she’s really struggling,” Beth continues. ”She needs somewhere to go where she’s not going to face judgement or bump into anybody that may trigger her substance use or mental health. What would you would want to offer them?”

“At WiSE, you can come to a safe, calm, trauma-informed environment and be seen by a female key worker throughout your treatment journey.”

WiSE replicates much of Sandwell’s wider treatment service, but away from Cranstoun’s main building, in dedicated spaces that aren’t shared with the public. One location is near to a park, providing a discreet setting for one-to-one appointments and a beautiful backdrop for the weekly walking group.

“I'm so proud of that group,” Beth says. “Six women came last week and it was 33°C. Even when it was -2°C, there’s always somebody here.”

“So enthusiastic”

A second, more central location hosts group sessions later in the week, and its proximity has helped link WiSE with local services and agencies in the borough. Recently, women attending WiSE have benefited from specialist support with mental health, physical wellbeing, domestic abuse, and employment opportunities, all in an environment where they already feel safe.

The response from other organisations has been overwhelmingly positive. “There’s just so much interest,” Beth smiles. “People are so enthusiastic when it comes to WiSE.”

Beth, the Sandwell team, and everyone who supports the WiSE Project demonstrate why it is so much more than a women’s substance use service. WiSE is a network of women supporting women, where every woman can feel safe, improve her health, increase her confidence – and begin her journey towards the future she deserves.