Government to fund more rape support centres than ever before across England and Wales.

Exmoor company’s solar water pump exports grew from 12% in 2012 to 52% in 2018 following support from the Department for International Trade (DIT).

Rape and sexual abuse support services across England and Wales have been awarded increased government funding today (22 March 2019) – totalling £24m over 3 years – to help even more victims.

The move, which involves a 10 per cent increase in funding by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), will see 79 rape support centres awarded grants – more than ever before. This will ensure, for the first time, that there are government-funded services in all 42 of the country’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) areas.

This will include a 50 per cent funding increase for services across Greater London – recognising the heightened demand for services in the region – with almost 15 per cent of all sexual offences occurring across the capital last year.

Nationally over 150,000 sexual offences were recorded by police last year, with 1 in 5 women having experienced some type of sexual assault in their lifetime. This is despite the crimes often going unreported.

The money will go towards a range of services, such as tailored face-to-face support and counselling to help victims cope with and, as far as possible, recover from these horrific crimes.

Among the services receiving a funding boost are a national helpline and webchat service for male victims following a significant rise in the number of men and boys coming forward to report crimes and access support.

The extra money will also see the number of PCC areas with government-funded male support centres nearly quadruple from 11 to 41.

Funding has also been extended to include those who suffered abuse while under the age of 13, in recognition that many victims of child sexual abuse may struggle to access timely support.

Victims Minister Edward Argar, said:

Victims of rape and sexual violence show immense courage in coming forward – and they must have confidence that the right support will be there when it is needed.

Today we are providing funding across more regions than ever, supporting more centres than ever, increasing the overall amount of funding and moving to a three-year funding cycle. We are determined to continue to improve access to these vital services for victims to help them rebuild their lives after these devastating crimes.

Victims’ Commissioner, Baroness Newlove, said:

Rape is a horrific crime and has devastating and often, lifelong consequences for its victims. It is important that all victims have access to the support and therapy they need to help them recover. This increase in funding is a step in the right direction in making sure there is sufficient provision to support these victims.

I am pleased that for the first time, there will be, centrally funded rape support services in all parts of England and Wales. I am particularly pleased to see there will be a significant increase in male support centres.

As Victims Commissioner, I have been calling for three-year funding packages for frontline victim services. So, it is a positive development that the government will be offering rape support service providers a 3-year funding agreement. It offers providers and their staff greater security, enabling them to focus their energies on supporting victims as opposed to worrying about future funding. I hope it will not be long before this is extended to all victim services.

Duncan Craig, CEO of Survivors Manchester and Co-Founder of Male Survivors Partnership, and survivors of childhood sexual abuse:

In this, our 10th Birthday year, we’re delighted to receive this grant. In 10 years, we’ve supported 2,500 male survivors but the past year’s shown a huge increase in requests for help with 2 new referrals coming in every single day.

This grant will not only allow us to provide three therapists and an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor to help meet this unprecedented demand, but also contribute significantly towards our new support centre and enable us to promote our Male Service Standard Quality Assured services to the widest possible communities across Greater Manchester, helping the diverse male population we have here.

Successful organisations passed through a comprehensive bidding process, where applicants evidenced their ability to provide high-quality, victim-focussed support. As well as funding services in all PCC areas, we have better matched funding to levels of local demand, which has increased in recent years as more victims come forward to access support.

This funding is now guaranteed over three years compared to 12 months previously – providing organisations with greater stability and security to ensure they can focus on delivering their essential services. It is part of £96 million MOJ is providing to victim and witness support services this year, which has doubled since 2012/13.

Notes to editors

• MOJ funding for victim support services has almost doubled since 2012/13 (by increasing revenue raised from offenders). This year, we plan to spend about £96 million on these services.
• MOJ provides a contribution to rape support services across England and Wales and the level of grant funding varies. In 2018/19 we allocated around £7.2 million to these centres to provide independent, specialist support to female and male victims of sexual violence, including victims of child sexual abuse. This will now increase to £8 million annually.
• Rape support services in Greater London will receive 50 per cent increase to help meet growing demand, with funding rising from £481,126 to £731,126.
• This announcement also builds on the government’s commitment to further devolve justice powers. Five PCCs (Greater London, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hampshire and Nottinghamshire) have been given full commissioning responsibilities for sexual violence and abuse services in their areas as PCC are well placed to identify and respond to local needs when providing support.
• In 2018/19 we allocated PCCs around £68 million funding to locally commission emotional and practical support services for victims of crime as they are best placed to respond to local need.
• The Crime Survey for England and Wales estimated that 20% of women and 4% of men have experienced some type of sexual assault since the age of 16, equivalent to an estimated 3.4 million female victims and 631,000 male victims.

The successful bidders are:

Avon and Somerset

• The Green House Bristol providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Bristol.
• Kinergy providing support for female and male victims in Bristol.
• Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (Bristol) providing support for female victims, including CSA in Bristol.
• Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (Somerset) providing support for female victims, including CSA in Taunton & North East Somerset.

Bedfordshire

• The Hope Programme providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Bedfordshire.

Cheshire

• Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (Cheshire & Merseyside) Chester & Warrington providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Cheshire.
• Chester Sexual Abuse Support Service providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Chester.

Cleveland

• Arch North East providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Middlesbrough and Cleveland.

Cumbria

• Safety Net UK providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in North Cumbria.

Derbyshire

• SV2 providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Derbyshire.
• Sexual Abuse and Incest Line providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in North Derbyshire.

Devon and Cornwall

• Devon Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Services providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Devon.
• First Light South West (Devon) providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Devon.
• Children Linked to and Experiencing Abusive Relationships (CLEAR) providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Cornwall.
• The Women’s Centre Cornwall providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Cornwall.
• SALT South West providing support for female victims in Cornwall.

Dorset

• Dorset Rape Crisis Support Centre Poole & Bournemouth providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Poole and Bournemouth.

Durham

• Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre (Darlington and County Durham) providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Darlington and County Durham.

Dyfed Powys

• Mid Wales Rape Support Centre providing support for female and male victims, in Aberystwyth and West Wales.
• New Pathways (Dyfed Powys) providing support for female and male victims, in mid Wales.

Gloucestershire

• Gloucestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Gloucestershire.

Greater Manchester

• Greater Manchester Rape Crisis providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Manchester.
• Trafford Rape Crisis providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Trafford.
• Survivors Manchester providing support for male victims, including CSA, in Manchester.

Gwent

• Cyfannol Women’s Aid providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Pontypool and Gwent.

Hertfordshire

• Herts Area Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Hertfordshire.

Humberside

• Grimsby and Scunthorpe Rape Crisis (The Blue Door) providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Humberside and North East Lincolnshire.
• Hull Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Service providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Hull.

Kent

• East Kent Rape Crisis Centre providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Canterbury and East Kent.
• Family Matters providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Gravesend and West Kent.

Lancashire

• Trust House Lancashire providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Lancashire.

Leicestershire and Rutland

• First Step Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland providing support for male victims, including CSA, in Leicester and Leicestershire.
• Leicester Rape Crisis providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Leicester and Leicestershire.
• Living Without Abuse providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Loughborough and Leicestershire.

Lincolnshire

• Lincolnshire Rape Crisis providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Lincoln and Lincolnshire.
• Trust House Lincolnshire providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Grantham and Lincolnshire.

Merseyside

• Rape and Sexual Abuse (RASA) Centre Merseyside providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Liverpool and Merseyside.

Norfolk

• Sue Lambert Trust providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Norwich and Norfolk.

North Wales

• Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre North Wales providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Bangor and North Wales.
• Stepping Stones North Wales providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Wrexham and North Wales.

North Yorkshire

• Survive (Support for Survivors of Rape and Sexual Abuse) providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in York and North Yorkshire.

Northamptonshire

• Northamptonshire Rape Crisis providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Northamptonshire.

Northumbria

• Tyneside Rape Crisis providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Newcastle and Tyneside.
• Grace Northumberland Rape Crisis providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Northumberland.
• Someone Cares providing support for female and male victims in Newcastle and Tyneside.

South Wales

• New Pathways (South Wales) providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in South Wales.

South Yorkshire

• Barnsley Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Services providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Barnsley.
• Doncaster Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Service providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Doncaster.
• Rotherham Abuse Counselling Service providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Rotherham.
• Sheffield Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Sheffield.

Staffordshire

• SAVANA providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire.
• Sexual Abuse and Rape Advice Centre (SARAC) providing support for female victims in Burton on Trent and Staffordshire.

Suffolk

• Suffolk Rape Crisis providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Ipswich and Suffolk.
• Survivors in Transition providing support for female and male victims in Ipswich and Suffolk.

Surrey

• Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre Guildford providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Guildford and Surrey.

Sussex

• Lifecentre providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Chichester and West Sussex.
• Mankind providing support for male victims in Brighton and Sussex.
• Rape Crisis Surrey and Sussex providing support for female victims in Crawley and Sussex.
• Survivors Network providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Sussex.

Thames Valley

• Aylesbury Vale & Milton Keynes Sexual Assault and Abuse Support Service providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Aylesbury and Milton Keynes.
• Oxfordshire Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Oxford and Oxfordshire.
• Rape Crisis (Wycombe, Chiltern and South Bucks) providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Wycombe and south Buckinghamshire.
• Trust House Reading providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Reading and Berkshire.

Warwickshire

• RoSA providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Rugby and Warwickshire.
• Safeline providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Warwick and Warwickshire.

West Mercia

• Axis Counselling providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Shrewsbury and Shropshire.
• Herefordshire Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Hereford and Herefordshire.
• Worcestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Worcester and Worcestershire.

West Midlands

• Birmingham Rape and Sexual Violence Project (RSVP) providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Birmingham and West Midlands.
• Black Country Women’s Aid providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in West Bromwich and West Midlands.
• Coventry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Coventry and West Midlands.
• Crisis Point providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Birmingham and West Midlands.
• Freedom from Torture (Medical Foundation for The Care Of Victims Of Torture) providing support for female and male victims in Birmingham.

West Yorkshire

• Basis Yorkshire providing support for female victims in Leeds.
• Bradford Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Survivors Service providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Bradford.
• Kirklees and Calderdale Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Wakefield and Huddersfield.
• Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds providing support for female victims in Leeds.
• Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Leeds.

Wiltshire

• Revival – Wiltshire Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Birmingham and West Midlands.

• The firm’s top export markets include Ghana, Nigeria and Uganda.

• UK aid funding has provided more than 40 million people in 30 countries with access to drinking water or a toilet since 2015.

• The United Nations’ World Water Day (Friday 22 March) reminds us that 2.1 billion people live without safe water at home.

With advice, market research and support from the Department for International Trade (DIT), exports of solar water pumps – mainly to African countries – now account for 52% of Exmoor based SCL Water’s sales.

Since 2015, UK aid has funded projects which have given more than 40 million people access to drinking water or a toilet in 30 countries. Availability and sustainable management of water is one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the theme of this year’s World Water Day: Leaving no one behind.

SCL Water was established following the family’s need to drill a borehole to irrigate their Devon farm, and has since grown to four people with another employee expected this year. DIT advisers helped the company research their market by taking co-owner Steve Kingdon-Saxby on trade missions to Ghana and Uganda, organised exporting workshops and helped SCL establish an online presence through its E-Exporting programme.

The family started selling water pumps overseas in 2012, and exports now account for 52% of all sales.

Steve Kingdon-Saxby, co-owner of SCL Water, said:

It is wonderful to think we are helping people obtain such a basic human need and we are proud to be able to support these projects, be they large or small.

My top tips for anyone thinking about exporting are: visit your market on a DIT trade mission, really understand your products so that you can add value by backing up your sales and service proposition with support, only sell top quality products and, finally, be prepared for calls, texts and emails 24/7! If we can export, you can.

SCL Water’s top export markets are Ghana, Nigeria and Uganda. The business also supported the work of an American charity by supplying complete solar pumping systems to clean water projects in Sierra Leone. The company has sold as far away as Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean, French Polynesia and Turkmenistan.

International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox MP said:

SCL Water is a brilliant example of a UK company showing ingenuity, ambition and a willingness to share its products and expertise around the world.

My international economic department is here to support businesses of all sizes to realise their exporting potential, and I would encourage any company thinking about selling overseas to visit great.gov.uk or contact their local DIT office.

ENDS

Further information:

• Contact the DIT Media and Digital Team on +44 (0)20 7215 2000

• Croydon, Derby, Medway, Plymouth and Salford to share £5 million to set up Youth Performance Partnerships

• Projects will offer children the chance to perform drama and dance and learn skills from behind the scenes skills such as lighting, sound and set design

• World-class cultural organisations will team up with local schools to encourage young people into the performing arts, Jeremy Wright, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, announced today.

More than 10,000 five to 18 year-olds will get to work with the likes of The BRIT School, BBC North and The Lowry with theatre skills, rap, performance and creative writing all part of the £5 million Youth Performance Partnership programme.

Delivered in Croydon, Derby, Medway, Plymouth and Salford, and particularly focused on engaging young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, participants will be given the opportunity to learn practical skills both on and off stage and work with playwrights to develop new works that students will then perform. They will also get the chance to design sets, learn about lighting and sound and take part in dance and drama.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright said:

As I know from my own experience, performing on stage can be transformative for young people. It can boost self esteem, build confidence and teach skills they will use throughout their lives.

While I’ve seen first hand some of the excellent work by schools and theatre groups, too many children around the country still do not have the opportunity to take part either on stage or behind the scenes.

Our Youth Performance Partnerships will give thousands of young people the chance to work directly with world-class cultural organisations and inspire the next generation of playwrights, actors or producers.

The Culture Secretary made the announcement during a visit to the BRIT School, Croydon.

Overseen by Arts Council England, one partnership was selected in the North, the Midlands, the South West, the South East and London. Proposals from areas where the level of young people engaging in the arts, culture and theatre are low and where there are less opportunities for young people to take part in performance were prioritised.

The Youth Performance Partnerships build upon the existing government investment in cultural education, in particular the successful Music Education Hubs which have so far helped more than 600,000 children a year access activities such as playing an instrument or joining a choir.

Darren Henley, Arts Council England CEO said:

Taking part in performances, whether on stage or behind the scenes, has huge benefits for children. They can express themselves, boost their mental health and wellbeing through creativity, and learn about career paths they might never have considered before. We’re very pleased that the government is making these benefits more widely available to young people from all backgrounds through Youth Performance Partnerships.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Details of the five successful Youth Partnerships Programme are:

London – Croydon Music and Arts

Led by Croydon Council, through the Croydon Music and Arts hub with a large number of partners including The BRIT School, this partnership will work with young South Londoners to create new performances that tell the story of young people of colour in Croydon. The project will include a talent academy, live performances and the opportunity to experience working backstage during live performances.

Working with 12 primary and eight secondary schools and over 2,500 students, the Croydon project will focus on young people from low income families, those with Special Educational Needs and young people at risk of exclusion.

Midlands – Derby Theatre (owned by the University of Derby)

Derby Theatre (owned by the University of Derby) will develop a programme that will work with partners from across the city to open up theatre making to young people taking influence from the local community. The scheme will target children aged between 8 and 18 from areas with high levels of poverty to nurture new skills and help young people find routes into creative careers.

Each of the hubs in this area will deliver weekly workshops and a year-long project working towards a high quality production of new commissions led by the partnership. Young producers will be on steering groups and opportunities for participants to take part in shadowing industry professionals.

North – The Lowry – Salford

Led by The Lowry who will be working with partners such as the BBC North, the programme will work with young people to support them as they move from primary to secondary school and from secondary education to work, focusing on mental health and wellbeing by developing transferable skills.

Twelve schools will take part in the programme in areas with low cultural engagement and high levels of poverty. It is expected that the programme will reach over 2,000 young people where they will work with artists to co-create new work including new performance companies in schools. A key focus of the programme will be on career opportunities so that young people, their families and schools understand the range of careers. The project will launch a Creative and Cultural Careers Fair for the North West to support this arm of the programme.

Partners in the programme also include: University of Salford, Walk The Plank, Salford Community Leisure and Salford City Council.

South East – Medway Council Brook Theatre

Building on the successful ART31 model of youth leadership, Theatre31 will allow young people in Medway and the Isle of Sheppey to take part in activities to support leadership, build confidence and team working, and improve literacy skills and wellbeing. A youth panel will provide leadership decisions with experts on hand to support. The project will also offer young people the opportunity to visit performances and experience life backstage.

Art 31 is a project led by The Gulbenkian Theatre for 13 to 25 year olds which enables young people to lead in designing and taking part in creative activities. The new Theatre31 model will be designed by young people with supporting expertise from the cultural sector. There will be opportunities for young people to develop performance skills, stagecraft, writing, set design and production.

South West – Theatre Royal Plymouth

In the South West the Theatre Royal will lead “With Flying Colours”, an ambitious performance programme that aims to work over 3,000 young people and their communities in Plymouth. The project will work with young people in areas of high deprivation and low cultural engagement to create pop ups, perform in community libraries and create plays in five schools.