SWARM is a sex worker led collective based in the UK. The project was founded in 2009 (under their former name Sex Worker Open University) to advocate for the rights of everyone who sells sexual services. Their goal is to build a diverse and inclusive community of sex workers who work together to improve their working conditions and resist violence.
The SWARM hardship fund has given grants of £200 each to 1,255 in-person sex workers across the UK, as of 30th June 2020. Donations and match-funding meant they could give out £251,000 in grants.
Mutual aid operates on principles of solidarity, horizontal organising, and
reciprocity. SWARM is a grassroots activist group of sex workers that has been organising for over ten years. They ran the hardship fund for other sex workers as the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically impacted their ability to work. They are not a charity, non-profit organisation, or outreach project.
Read their detailed ‘How We Ran A Mutual Aid Fund’ guide here: https://www.swarmcollective.org/blog
