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Sexual abuse charity hit by funding doubts

Martin Heath
BBC News, Norfolk
Getty A barefoot woman wearing light blue jeans and a light blue top is sitting down on some stairs with her arms around her knees and her face in her lap. she is pale with dark brown hair in a ponytailGetty
Norfolk's police and crime commissioner said "everyone is competing for finite funding"

A charity that supports victims of sexual abuse and violence said it had cut the number of people it helps by 20% due to funding cuts.

The Sue Lambert Trust (SLT), based in Norwich, estimated that almost 140 people would miss out on the support they "desperately need".

It urged funding bodies - such as the local NHS - to "fulfil their obligations to support survivors of sexual abuse".

One survivor said the charity had "changed the direction of my life" for the better.

Sue Lambert Trust Picture of two women sitting in wooden seats with blue cushions. The picture is blurred so neither are identifiable, but they both appear to have dark hair and are wearing dark clothing. There is a coffee table between them with a box of tissues. A multicoloured abstract painting is hanging on a white wall. There are handbooks in the foreground for sexual abuse survivors.Sue Lambert Trust
The trust said funding uncertainty meant dozens of people would not get counselling

Jess contacted the SLT after experiencing vivid flashbacks of the abuse she had suffered during 17 years of marriage.

One particularly severe episode convinced her that she needed help.

She said: "I was walking home from work, along a familiar route, and there was nothing unusual or different that triggered me or caused what happened next, to happen. It just came from nowhere.

"A severe and terrifying flashback just stopped me dead in my tracks. Panic set in, and I couldn't move or breathe."

She found out about the SLT and had counselling sessions.

"I am so grateful I had the charity to reach out to and change the direction of my life," Jess added.

Sue Lambert Trust Clive Evans with very short white hair and beard, wearing a blue shirt and standing in front of a colourful abstract painting or fabric design.Sue Lambert Trust
Clive Evans, the trust's chief executive, said it did not have enough money to meet the need for counselling this year

In 2024, the SLT helped 636 people like Jess, but the organisation said it was unlikely to receive the same level of funding in 2025.

The NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board stopped funding it last year, and the SLT is waiting for a decision on a revised proposal. The board has been approached for comment.

Norfolk's police and crime commissioner (PCC) also reduced funding for two of the SLT's sister organisations, and the trust feared the same fate awaited it.

SLT chief executive Clive Evans said without money from government bodies, the charity would not meet local demand.

"We're calling on the PCC, NHS and government bodies to stop, think again and fulfil their obligations to support survivors of sexual abuse and sexual violence," he said.

Sarah Taylor with long blond hair and red lipstick smiling at the camera wearing a black top and standing in a large indoor public area with a light-coloured floor
The police and crime commissioner, Sarah Taylor, said she was "keen to support this service"

Norfolk's PCC, Sarah Taylor, said: "I am keen to continue to support this service.

"My office commissions a number of services to support and protect victims and to fund important prevention work.

"However, in this difficult financial climate, everyone is competing for finite funding with a high volume of demand."

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