WMRSASC marks Sexual Abuse and Violence Awareness Week
Lydia Johnson, a counselling services team lead at West Mercia Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre, with some of the poetry, writing and artwork (Image: WMRSASC)
Art and poetry with a powerful message has been showcased across a charity’s social media.
To mark Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week, which runs until Sunday, February 9, West Mercia Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (WMRSASC) encouraged service users past and present, as well as supporters, to get creative to mark the week.
The charity, which provides support to survivors of sexual violence aged five and over across Worcestershire and Herefordshire, received a variety of contributions all centred around the theme of ‘What makes you feel empowered?’ and is sharing them on their Facebook and Instagram pages this week.
Lydia Johnson, a counselling services team lead at Worcester-based WMRSASC, said it had been a “privilege” to see the work that was sent in.
She said: “So much of the poetry, writing and artwork we received has been so powerful and moving.”
“For some, their art and writing has been a lifeline which has helped them process and explore the abuse they experienced.”
“Survivors have come together in our peer support groups to find a voice for themselves through crafting, writing and painting alongside others who have experienced similar.”
“Some clients have used writing and poetry during their counselling to process their feelings while others have used art to portray their experience of the criminal justice system.”
“Sexual violence is by its nature disempowering and often leaves the victim of abuse feeling like they have no voice, no control and no agency.”
“At WMRSASC we work to give people back their power, to enable them to make decisions about the support they receive and ultimately to regain a sense of control in their lives.”
The awareness week is a national event which started to co-ordinate sexual violence campaigns and to shine a light on a subject which in previous years has been shrouded in silence.
In recent years, especially following the world-wide #MeToo movement, awareness of the prevalence of sexual violence and its impact has grown.
Despite this, according to the Rape Crisis website, 69,958 rapes were recorded by police between October 2023 and September 2024 with charges being brought in only 2.7 per cent of those cases.
To read the full Worcester News article click here.
Head to the charity’s Facebook and Instagram pages to see all the contributions to the campaign.