Safe Steps: Building Confidence, Wellbeing and Safer Travel for Migrant Women

We are proud to share the outcomes of Safe Steps: Wellbeing and Confidence for Migrant Women, a six‑month project delivered by Women Empowerment and Wellness Network CIC (WEWN) with the generous support of Northern’s Community and Customer Improvement Fund.

About the Project

Safe Steps was designed to support racially minoritised migrant women, including asylum seekers and refugees, living in South Tyneside. Many of the women we work with experience trauma, isolation, poor mental health and low confidence, particularly when using public transport or accessing public spaces.

Over six months, we delivered 24+ weekly, peer‑led group sessions focused on emotional wellbeing, confidence building, cultural orientation, social connection and safe travel skills. Sessions were led by trained facilitators and peer mentors with lived experience of migration, ensuring delivery was trauma‑informed, culturally

appropriate and rooted in trust.

What We Achieved

With Northern’s support, the project:

• Improved emotional wellbeing and confidence for migrant women

• Reduced social isolation and strengthened peer support networks

• Increased confidence using local rail services and public transport

• Created clear progression routes into WEWN’s wider programmes in mental health, employability, enterprise and housing

• Enabled some participants to move into volunteer and peer‑mentor roles, supporting long‑term sustainability

  
  

The project met and in several areas exceeded  our expectations, with strong attendance, consistent engagement and highly positive participant feedback.

What Participants Told Us

Women shared that they felt:

• Safer and more confident, particularly when travelling

• Less isolated and more connected to others

• Supported and understood by facilitators with lived experience

• More able to engage in public life and access local services

  
  

Participants repeatedly told us that holding sessions in familiar, culturally appropriate spaces made a significant difference to their willingness to attend and stay engaged.

Learning and Looking Ahead

The project reinforced the importance of:

• Peer‑led, lived‑experience delivery

• Flexible, trauma‑informed support

• Combining emotional wellbeing with practical travel confidence

• Embedding clear progression and legacy pathways

  
  

Encouragingly, the impact of Safe Steps is already reaching beyond the project itself. WEWN has been invited to contribute to North East Combined Authority research (delivered by WSP) exploring women and girls’ experiences of safety when travelling across the region. This ensures the voices of migrant women often overlooked will help shape future transport planning, investment and safety improvements.

Thank You

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Northern for their trust, support and commitment to improving safety, inclusion and wellbeing across their rail network. This funding enabled us to reach women whose voices are too often unheard and to deliver meaningful, community‑led change.

Safe Steps has laid the foundations for continued impact, and we look forward to building on this work to support safer, more confident travel and stronger communities across the North East.