An evaluation of the Support Our Sisters programme : introduced across Greater Manchester

McAndrew, SL; Ayodeji, E

Abstract

This report presents an evaluation of a number of projects that have been developed under the
auspices of the ‘Support Our Sisters’ (SOS) programme, initially funded in 2012 by the Henry Smith
Charity and hosted by New Steps for African Communities (NESTAC), a third sector organisation based
in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. While the initial SOS project was funded by the Henry Smith Charity,
subsequent funding was secured from Comic Relief, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)
and Manchester City Council to continue and expand the initial work. This work continues to date. The
evaluation has been carried out by two researchers at the University of Salford; Professor Sue
McAndrew and Dr Eunice Ayodeji.

The evaluation takes account of six projects; (1) The SOS Clinic (adult service); (2) The Guardian Project
(a service aimed at children and young girls); (3) Peer Mentoring Project; (4) Youth Peer Mentoring
Project; (5) FGM Education; (6) FGM Community Engagement Initiatives; a Health Advocacy Project.
The evaluation provides statistical information and qualitative data regarding the experiences of a
number of people involved in the projects: women who have received counselling for FGM and its
implications; female peer support workers (peer mentors), male peer support workers (peer mentors)
and those staff who have been managing the various projects.

This evaluative report is divided into eight sections; section 1 offers the reader an overview of FGM;
section 2 gives a brief outline of how the evaluation was conducted; section 3 reports on the statistical
evidence emerging from the six projects; section 4 presents vignettes of four of the women who,
through the project, have received counselling; section 5 focuses on the experiences of two male peer
mentors; section 6 reports the experiences of a groups of female peer mentors, and section 7 offers
the lived experience of staff managing the projects. The final section, 8, offers a summary of the
strengths of the projects, makes recommendations based on the evidence presented and considers
what the future holds in terms of building on what has already been achieved.

Citation

McAndrew, S., & Ayodeji, E. (2019). An evaluation of the Support Our Sisters programme : introduced across Greater Manchester

• Report Type: Project Report
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2019
• Deposit Date: Nov 27, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 27, 2019
• ISBN: 97819123373616
• Additional Information: Corporate Creators : New Step For African Community (NESTAC)