Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse gets National Lottery funding

CARA (Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse) is celebrating after getting the money from National Lottery funding.

The charity will use the funding to help deliver some of its core services over the next three years.

These services include providing specialist sexual violence counselling and therapeutic support for adults and young people, group work and advocacy support.

Helen Parr, chief executive officer at CARA said: “The National Lottery Community Fund has been one of our main funders and we are so grateful for all the support they have given us.

“National Lottery funding has helped us to reach more than 9,000 victims and survivors and to provide a wide range of services.”

The charity has continued to work without a single day’s break throughout the coronavirus pandemic to provide support for victims and survivors of sexual violence, and child sexual abuse of all ages and genders. .

Referrals have remained high, with more than 1,800 new referrals to CARA in 2020.

The charity says it is aware how challenging and triggering the virus and the lockdowns are for many victims and survivors of sexual violence and child sexual abuse.

Many victims with existing mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety experienced a decline in their mental health as a result of the uncertainty created by the virus and the isolation of lockdown and social distancing.

Helen Bushnell, senior head of region for London, South East and East at the National Lottery Community Fund, said: “We are proud to award this new funding to CARA so they can continue providing specialist services to victims and survivors of sexual violence and child sexual abuse.

“Thanks to National Lottery players, projects like this across the country are playing a vital role at the heart of their communities and can continue to support people during the pandemic and beyond.”

For more information about CARA go to caraessex.org.uk, or telephone 01206 769795.