Warwick charity supporting those affected by sexual abuse gets over £400k in funding to help more people

A Warwick-based charity that helps and supports those affected by sexual abuse has been awarded hundreds of thousands of pounds so that it can help more people.

Safeline, has been awarded £415,000 which will be given over a period of 16 months, by the Department of Health and Social Care for suicide support.

The charity, which has offices in both Warwick and Stratford, was one of the 79 charities across England to receive a chunk of the £10million through the government’s Suicide Prevention VCSE Grant Fund.

The money will be used to increase the charity’s face to face counselling and prevention and early intervention services and as well as the male survivor helpline and online support services.

Neil Henderson, CEO of Safeline, said: “This funding will help us save lives.

"Individuals who are sexually abused as children are three times more likely than others to try to kill themselves as adults.

"80 per cent of all our face-to-face counselling clients, 83 per cent of male survivors contacting our national helpline and 74 per cent of children and young people attending our prevention and early intervention services, disclosed self-harm, suicidal thoughts or had attempted suicide.

"This new funding is recognition of the critical role specialist sexual violence support agencies like Safeline play in helping to prevent suicide.”

Neil is also keen to encourage Warwickshire residents to access the support available.

For more information about the charity and its services go to: https://safeline.org.uk/