Barnsley Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Helpline (BSARCH) faces closure

The centre is facing closure due to the withdrawl of government funding and is the only service in the area. Support BSARCH by signing a petition to Gordon Brown to save this vital service http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Save-BSARCH/

Letter to Gordon Brown
The Women's Resource Centre and Rape Crisis (England and Wales) sent an open letter to Prime Minister Gordon Brown on 1 August 2008 highlighting the financial crisis facing the Rape Crisis sector and demanding more sustainable funding for the sector and an integrated strategy to address violence against women. The letter was signed by a wide range of organisations and individuals including MPs, journalists, large voluntary and community organisations and Rape Crisis centres across England and Wales.

• Read the letter
• Download a copy of the letter (Word document)
  

CEDAW
The United Nations has also urged the UK government to do more to meet the needs of women who have been raped or sexually assaulted. The Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) has called on the government to increase and sustain its funding to women’s organisations; assess the impact of commissioning on women’s groups; protect women-only services; and increase services for victims of violence against women.

• Read the article by WRC on New Statesman online (external link)
  
• Read the press release from WRC
• Read the article by South Essex Rape and Incest Crisis Centre (SERICC) on New Statesman online (external link)
• Read the concluding observations from CEDAW (external link)

New Statesman
The New Statesman online magazine has been campaigning to support Rape Crisis centres in England and Wales and to raise awareness about sexual violence in the UK. The Women's Resource Centre and Rape Crisis (England and Wales) are really pleased that the New Statesman has been such a strong supporter of this campaign, and they've been able to raise awareness of the funding issues facing Rape Crisis far beyond the scope of what our organisations could ever have achieved. New Statesman have collected a wide range of in-depth articles about these issues, making it an invaluable resource.

• Read all the New Statesman Rape Crisis campaign articles

Take action!
Many voices have been raised in this campaign for better funding for Rape Crisis centres – and it has made a difference, with £1 million emergency funding for the sector announced by Harriet Harman in March 2008. While this is very welcome and has stopped the imminent closure of some groups in the short term, it’s still not enough to address the sustainability of the Rape Crisis sector, and the situation for groups remains dire. Now is the time to keep the pressure up, and there are a range of simple things you can do to make a difference.

• Read about what you can do to take action!