Interview: The battle on the streets - Wendy Shepherd, children's services manager, Barnardo's Secos project

Wendy Shepherd, who is the full-time children's services manager at Secos, is in no doubt that the project's 20 volunteers have enabled it to reach more young people in need than it otherwise would have done.

They accompany full-time staff on the project's "Sooty" van, which goes out to areas where women are working on the streets. They could have to confront abusive pimps and deal with harrowing situations like the aftermath of sexual assaults. Some nights they might work until 3am.

"Historically, Middlesbrough has always had prostitution because it's an old port," says Shepherd. "But what became apparent was the number of young people involved."

Secos was set up after research showed the average age of women being abused through prostitution in the Teesside city to be between 12 and 13 years. Nearly all of them had run away from home or local authority care, 86 per cent had experienced child abuse and 87 per cent were involved in drug misuse.

Shepherd says the situation has improved since the project opened its doors in 1998. It has come into contact with more than 200 young people, but there has been a fall of almost a quarter in the number on the streets, and the average age has risen to 14 or 15. Much of the success can be attributed to the preventative work Secos does in schools and youth clubs, says Shepherd. She has developed close links with other agencies such as the police and social services.

Shepherd thinks the best way to deal with the problem is to take the project to young people, hence the outreach van. "I don't expect them to walk through our doors; you have to look for them and be there for them at midnight," she says. But that presents particular challenges for volunteers.

"Before they're allowed to do outreach work they have to do a 12-week induction course including child protection and working on joint protocols," says Shepherd. "And if things are affecting them emotionally, they have the opportunity to talk about it.

"There's also training on rape and domestic violence. They may be talking to young people who've been raped, are on drugs or don't have anywhere to sleep.

"They have to contend with illnesses and sometimes mental health problems.

They may have seen them six months ago as healthy young people and now they're emaciated. They see all sorts of heart-rending things."

The volunteers come from various backgrounds: some are residents who live near areas affected by prostitution, others are former street girls, and some are even medical students from nearby universities who say their experiences with Secos are helping them in their studies.

The minimum age for volunteering is 16, although a 15-year-old is currently assisting staff until she can become a fully fledged volunteer. The project also employs four full-time staff - the centre offers one-to-one support and runs activity groups - and Shepherd has ambitions for it to provide respite accommodation.

"When we do residentials with young people in North Yorkshire, we can see them flower in front of us," she says. "I'd like to see that on a long-term basis. It gives them an opportunity to escape."

Secos staff will get the opportunity for a break when Shepherd receives the Queen's Award at a ceremony at St James' Palace on 19 July. "People are so excited about it," she says. Only three staff are allowed to attend the ceremony, but another 12 will accompany them on the trip to London for a "good night out". And who could argue that they don't deserve it.

BACKGROUND - Roots of the Secos project

- Wendy Shepherd has worked for Barnardo's for 15 years, first dealing with victims of child sexual abuse in Middlesbrough

- She helped to set up Secos in 1998 after research highlighted the problem of child prostitution in the city

- Nominations are now being accepted for the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service 2005. Visit: www.queensawardvoluntary.gov.uk/nominate.html

- www.barnardos.org.uk/secos/