When I started making porn back in 2017, I was lucky enough that I already had friends working across all sectors of the sex industry. My social circle consisted of people who worked as escorts, prodommes, cam performers, brothel workers, and more.

Immediately, they were able to tell me exactly what I needed to be doing to keep myself safe as I began going to shoots and posting my own content online. They helped me find the best places to get certs, gave me equipment recommendations, taught me how to use editing software, and told me about National Ugly Mugs (NUM)

Joining NUM, I was able to screen potential collaborators and access alerts about dangerous individuals. When a producer assaulted me on set, I reported him to NUM while on the train home from the shoot. A member of the casework team contacted me to see how I was doing, and what I wanted to do next. When there was no one else I could tell about what had happened, she listened to me, gave me information and advice, and was someone I could talk to.

In 2019, I became part of NUM’s team, and now I’m writing this to share more about what we do! You may have thought that we’re only for people who do full-service sex work, but we are open for anyone who provides any form of sexual services, including the porn performers, cam performers and content creators of SNAP!

So much of what we do relies on being able to reach as many people as possible. The more people in our community sharing and receiving information, the more dangerous individuals people can avoid, and the more people are able to make informed decisions about who they see and work with. We invite you to join our community of over 9500 members – here’s what you can access if you do!

Reporting and alerting

Our reporting and alerting services are at the centre of what we do at NUM. Any sex workers who experience harm at work are able to report this to NUM, and the information in the report will be shared with other NUM members, meaning they can avoid potentially dangerous individuals. You can receive NUM alerts through email or SMS, or access these by logging on to our website.

We are also able to take reports of timewasters, and will soon be able to take reports about harm caused by people in positions of public trust.

If you would like, we are able to help you access support from the criminal justice system, either by sharing the incident with the police anonymously or by helping you to make a full report. However, you do not need to have any contact with the police if you do not want to – it’s entirely up to you, and our casework team will be able to help you make this choice.

Checker tools

Our checker tools allow you to use information you already have to see whether a person has been reported to NUM in the past. You can search for email addresses, phone numbers, online usernames and vehicle registration plates, and it’ll tell you whether that information has been part of a previous report and, where possible, the alert associated with it.

You can search for information about producers, potential collaborators and customers, to check that they’ve not been reported before you make decisions about whether to work with them. 

Casework support

Our casework team is made up of Independent Sexual Violence Advisors and other people with expertise on and experience around sex work. They’re able to provide you with emotional and practical support if you experience harm at work, or as a result of your work. They are also able to provide advice, or link you in with other services you might need!

…And more!

We’re not just here for when you experience harm at work. We can also provide support with other issues you might be experiencing, such as financial hardship (with supermarket vouchers and fuel vouchers) or mental health support (with our funded therapy packages and directory of sex worker-friendly therapists).

We also have our Vocational Support services, for if the time ever comes that you might want to move on to other careers or go back into education to reach new goals. Join us for our workshops, which have been designed by, for and with sex workers. Find out more about them here!

If you’re in or around Scotland, you’re welcome to drop in to NUMbrella Lane as well! Our in-person space in Glasgow includes regular drop-ins, face-to-face casework support, harm reduction supplies, a food bank, a clothes swap, events and more! We also host a drop in on the second Wednesday of every month in Edinburgh. If you’d like to come along, sign up as a NUM member, and email numbrellalane@nationaluglymugs.org for more information. 

I want to sign up!

If you would like to become a member of NUM, simply complete this form on our website! After you submit this, you’ll receive an email asking you to fill out your profile, including providing some evidence that you are eligible to be a NUM member (such as a social media account or online work profile). Once you’ve done this and we’ve reviewed it, you’ll be able to access all of NUM’s tools to support you and your work!

For more information about NUM, check out:

Our website: https://nationaluglymugs.org/ 

Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/NationalUglyMug 

Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationaluglymugs 

If you would like to contact the NUM team, you can get in touch with us at:

Email: admin@nationaluglymugs.org

Phone: 0161 629 9861

Freephone: 0800 464 7669

Our casework team are available between 10am – 4pm, Tuesdays – Fridays.