CLOSURE OF COUNSELLING WAITING LIST AS FUNDING REMOVED

Coventry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (CRASAC) has of today (31^st Jan) closed its waiting list to new referrals (for those aged under 13 it will close on 1 April 2024) due a cut in funding from Coventry City Council.  

The charity relies on funding from a range of sources to provide specialist counselling, independent sexual violence advice and advocacy to over 1,500 local adults and children every year who are struggling with the impacts of sexual abuse. A quarter of CRASAC’s clients are children.  

Natalie Thompson, CEO of CRASAC says:  

“CRASAC is committed to providing the best possible service to our clients. The demand for our services rises year on year and we currently have a list of almost 500 people waiting to access our specialist counselling support.   

“Due to the sudden decrease in funding, we are unable to continue operations at the current level and have taken the difficult decision to close our waiting list to new clients until a sustainable funding resolution can be met.  

“This has not been an easy decision to make, and leaving survivors without the specialist support they need is heartbreaking. But we cannot ethically continue to accept referrals knowing that they could be waiting up to 18 months to get the help they need.”  

The scale and impact of sexual violence is largely hidden in society. Five million women in England and Wales have been raped or sexually assaulted. One in four girls and one in six boys will be subjected to child sexual abuse and one in five women over the age of 16.  

In the West Midlands there are an estimated 20,000 victims of child sexual abuse for every support service and waiting times have doubled since 2015. 

How you can help

• Sign our petition to secure sustainable funding for sexual violence support services.   
• Write to your local MP urging them to support.  Download a template letter.
• Join our protest outside the Coventry Council House, Earl Street on Tuesday 20th February from 12pm.