Suffolk Rape Crisis is the latest charity to benefit from a £1,000 donation from our Acorn Fund. Based in Ipswich, Suffolk Rape Crisis is a member of Rape Crisis, the national umbrella organisation for a network of specialised support centres for women and girls from across the country. Their purpose is to respond to sexual violence against women and girls by offering them high quality and specialised support after the trauma of rape or abuse.
At Suffolk Rape Crisis, no victim is considered more urgent or more important than another. However, the average wait for counselling is three to six months. Their 12 counsellors support 58 women and girls each week, which is an increase of 60 percent from last year.
The decision to make a donation to the charity was as a result of a vote by the Pound Gates staff. Following the award, several representatives from the business visited the charity in November 2018 to gain insight into where the funding will be spent.
At present, Suffolk Rape Crisis offers counselling and a helpline two nights a week. However, with the help of additional funding, this service will be expanded to include a text service, online chat and Skype calls. This will benefit those that can’t travel to their facility.
The support offered is tailored to the needs of the individual women, and can focus on areas such as: pre-trial support, strengthening relationships, learning positive coping mechanisms, dealing with feelings of guilt and shame, building self-esteem and confidence.
We are proud to support this important work.
For more information about our Acorn Fund, click here.
