More Than An Annual Report

Latest from West Mercia Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre

One of the peculiarities of running a charity is the legal requirement to produce an annual report — it forces you to stop and reflect on the previous year.

Like many people, it’s easy to focus on the negatives and setbacks than to consider and accept the compliments and positives like the brilliance of our staff and volunteer teams.

This year has been particularly challenging with funding cuts, staff losses, a broken criminal justice process and ever-increasing referrals.

Reports are often long and tedious, full of snapshots of data.

But this short-term reporting misses the longevity of the difference we make for survivors both in the immediacy of their support but also in the years to come — it’s these differences we rarely ever get to hear about.

Clients move on, we hope to better and brighter futures, healing from the abusive experiences and recognising abuse does not define them.

Most want to put the past behind them and move on.

But sometimes they do get back in touch.

This year I have been in contact with three ex-clients that I worked with 10 to 15 years ago.

It has been a privilege to hear how they are and what has happened in their lives since.

A key element of support is around the relationship you form with the client and the trust they place in you at what is always a difficult and traumatic time, regardless of whether the abuse happened to them recently or years ago.

For someone to feel able to get in touch and ask for support or advice after that length of time is, I think, both touching and humbling. It is a reminder of why we keep doing this work.

It is not just a job, it is about passion to make a difference; to offer support, it is a purpose our team believe in.

Knowing the impact, support and care that our team provide, I asked about similar experiences — there are many.

One has a dissertation dedicated to her for her help and support, another has regular life updates — college, marriage and now a child.

One stated we provided the best counselling he has had in 25 years of seeking support, another had the confidence to travel abroad for the first time, first-class honours degrees, successful criminal injuries claims, no longer self-injuring and being comfortable in their own skin.

We have a range of paramedics, social workers, police officers, teachers, cabin crew, GPs, mothers and fathers and some have come to work for us.

The list of good news stories goes on and on but it is the difference that funders and commissioners never see or value.

We save lives, we help build lives — it is quite the legacy and an honour.

2026 will see us mark our 40th anniversary and our commitment to making a difference remains unwavering.

As a local, community organisation, we hope we can count on your support.

In the next few weeks, we will be contacting all of the newly-elected councillors and asking for their pledge to ensure there is a strategy in place across Worcestershire for survivors of sexual violence — it needs a multi-agency response.

I will let you know how we get on.

To read the full Worcester News article, follow: Latest from West Mercia Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre | Worcester News