News

Good Funding News

We’re thrilled to announce that Rape Crisis Centres across Scotland will benefit from an investment of £2.25 million of funding from the Scottish Government to help address waiting lists for specialist support.

We know from survivors that the impact of waiting lists can be devastating. Seeking support after sexual violence is often a very difficult thing to do, to finally find a service with people who get it, and who meet you with compassion and care only to be told that you must wait months to receive support can be an immensely difficult thing to come to terms with.

No-one should ever have to wait to access support that is often described to us by survivors as lifesaving. For many years we’ve been campaigning to raise awareness about the impact of waiting lists, and for Rape Crisis centres to be resourced to be able to support survivors at the point of need. This is a step in the right direction.

This funding - in conjunction with the new Delivering Equally Safe fund – is a very welcome and much-needed investment in local Rape Crisis services, but our approach must be sustainable. It is only through a strategic and coordinated approach that we will be able to make sure that that survivors across Scotland are able to access the support they deserve, at the point of need.

On the impact of waiting lists a member of the Survivor Reference Group said:

"I was left to find my support after being raped. I never imagined that I would be in that position or how difficult it would be to find support for what we all know to be a horrific trauma. When I was met with a lack of support and understanding from my GP and no private counsellors offering counselling for trauma, Rape Crisis was my lifeline. The catch to that was that the rope thrown by them to bring me back to shore was far too long.

I waited for over a year to finally get the help that I needed. The help that undoubtedly saved my life.

I do not think that people understand that you are effectively treated as a witness in the criminal justice system, so there is little support available to you beyond signposting. You are alone in the bubble of the process and the services of Rape Crisis are invaluable.

The need for access to specialists in a reasonable timeframe cannot be overstated. It undoubtedly saves lives and ensures a quality of life for survivors by helping them start to heal."