Warwickshire sexual abuse survivors to receive better suicide support

A Warwickshire charity has secured over £400,000 to better support victims of sexual abuse and violence who are at high risk of taking their own lives.

Safeline has secured funding from the Department of Health and Social Care for suicide support worth £415,000 for 16-months.

The charity says securing this funding is critical for its client group because individuals who are sexually abused as children are three times more likely than others to attempt suicide as adults.

Over the last 12-months, 80% of new Face-to-Face counselling referrals presented with suicidal ideation or attempted suicide.

Around 83% of male survivors contacting the national helpline presented with suicidal ideation or attempted suicide, and 74% of children and young people attending Prevention and Early Intervention services disclosed self-harm or suicide ideation.

The funding will be used to increase the capacity of Safeline’s face-to-face counselling and Prevention and Early Intervention services, and its Male Survivor Helpline and Online support service.

CEO Neil Henderson said: "The funding will support victims and survivors who are at risk of suicide. This is magnificent news. It’s a real issue for clients in this area.

"Securing this money is a phenomenal achievement because it was intended for organisations like Samaritans and Papyrus. They’re fantastic organisation but when it comes to sexual violence, they help in a crisis - they don’t tackle the root cause. We tackle the root cause and protect people that way. We’ll be able to support an awful lot more people in Coventry and Warwickshire with this money.

"It’s brilliant for Warwickshire that we’ve been able to do this. And its interesting at a time when another local charity is losing funding, we’re securing funding. So, it might give some victims and survivors some hope when they thought a lot of that was lost."

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