A safe house in Bristol for former prostitutes and their children has benefited from almost £200,000 of Government funding.

Naomi House has been running for six months from an undisclosed location in the city to help women get back on their feet after working on the streets.

It is the first service of its kind to be set up in the UK and staffing has now been secured for the next two years as a result of a £187,051 grant from the Government's Parenting Fund.

So far four women have been helped by the service, which is run from the St Paul's-based One25 Project, which helps street workers with health advice, emotional support and food and drug counselling.

Naomi House is a safe place for women to live with their children once they have decided to turn their backs on drugs and prostitution.

It enables them to rebuild their lives and learn new skills that will enable them to set up home with their children and make a fresh start.

As well as parenting skills classes, budgeting and cookery lessons, former prostitutes can also take art classes.

Women are also given support by social services, health experts and drug and alcohol services.

Fundraising co-ordinator at One25 Josie Hill said: "Most of the women we see don't have any qualifications. A lot left school at the age of 13 but they have thrown themselves into this.

"One woman has become a big fan of gardening and loves going out gardening and exercising and feels in complete control of her body and really healthy, which is a big turnaround.

"They have had so much help from professionals around Bristol. Someone comes in and teaches baby massage and there are parenting classes.

"When we look at the tragic cases One25 has seen, there have been women who have beaten up, raped, suicides and murders.

"Sex work and addiction is one of the most dangerous lifestyles you can have but then we see these success stories."

One of the women who has benefited from Naomi House is "Georgia", who was heavily pregnant when she arrived.

She was in a violent, traumatic relationship and her partner was beating her and forcing her to sell sex on the streets in order to fund both of their addictions to heroin, crack cocaine and alcohol.

Georgia's self-esteem was extremely low and she had already had several of her children removed. She was desperate to turn her life around and keep her unborn baby.

Georgia has now given birth to her baby daughter and continues to produce clean drug and alcohol tests and will soon go into detox to come off the prescribed heroin substitute methadone.

She said: "The best thing about Naomi House is being able to keep my baby. I love her more than anything in the world.

"Last Christmas I wouldn't have dreamed I'd be here, caring for my baby and learning new things. I'm in control now and making life better for both of us."

Women can stay at Naomi House for a maximum of 23 months and will continue to be offered support afterwards.

"The whole team at One25 is absolutely overjoyed with the news of the funding. It will have an enormous impact on the lives of the vulnerable new mothers at Naomi House and equip them with the stability and skills needed to bring up their children in a safe, loving environment," added Ms Hill.