Sex abuse charity closes waiting list over demand

A North Yorkshire charity helping victims of sexual violence and abuse has closed its waiting list due to "unprecedented" demand and a funding shortage.

Survive helped more than 1,900 people in the county last year, with the number of people it supports growing by more than 20% since 2022.

Mags Godderidge, chief executive officer, said with more than 700 people on its waiting list it had made the "deeply difficult decision" to put it on hold.

The government said it had maintained funding levels in 2024-25 and "remains resolute in our mission to halve violence against women and girls".

Survive delivers specialist trauma-informed services and interventions to adult survivors of sexual violence and abuse across North Yorkshire.

Dr Jacqui Lovell, 63, has received help from Survive in the past and fears she may not be able to access further support in future.

She was abused from the age of two by a distant relative who has since died and suffered sexual violence as an adult.

"There are more people who are victims or survivors of sexual violence on a daily basis," she said.

"We're not going to go away, the abusers are not going to go away, so therefore the women and the men that are abused aren't going to go away."

The charity recommended eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy to Dr Lovell, which works on the theory that traumatic memories have not been properly processed by the brain.

It then helps to reprocess them correctly via therapy involving eye movement and using sounds or taps to the skin while going through past traumas.

Speaking about EMDR, Dr Lovell said: "I wish I had found this decades ago and been able to put some of the trauma down."

She received 20 weeks of EMDR therapy through Survive, but then had to wait three months before being eligible to apply for more.

"Now that Survive is actually closing their waiting list, I won't be able to do that," she said.

Survive said an increasing number of survivors accessing its support have complex post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms including flashbacks, nightmares, panic attacks, anxiety and depression.

"The majority of people we work with are adult survivors of child sexual abuse," Ms Godderidge said.

"It has taken these people not just years but often decades to tell somebody what happened to them, and then we're not able to help."

She added: "For years, our dedicated and hard-working team have been delivering more and more with the same or less resources.

"We have continually been asking for long-term strategic investment in this sector both locally and nationally.

"Whilst the recent announcement by the safeguarding minister is welcomed, we need further clarity as to when extra funding will be released."

A government spokesperson said: "The government inherited a £22bn black hole in the nation's finances, but we remain resolute in our mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade and are committed to supporting organisations that help victims of crime.

"We have maintained 2024-25 funding levels for sexual violence and domestic abuse support this year, which includes the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund for specialist services."

Jo Coles, the region's deputy mayor for policing, fire and crime, said Survive was a "vital service" in the region.

She said, together with North Yorkshire mayor David Skaith, she was "committed" to ensuring victims of crime receive specialist support.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, information and support can be found at the BBC's Action Line.

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.