£4.4m funding announced to support domestic abuse and sexual assault victims in Thames Valley

The Thames Valley office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) has secured £4.4 million funding from the Government to support victims and survivors.

Allocated by the Ministry of Justice the money will be split up across the next three years.

Money will be spent providing new specialist support systems, including creating new methods for investigating stalking.

It will also be used to offer more specialised support for people with protected characteristics who are often under-represented in services.

The commissioner's office says this will aim to assist: BAME communities, LGBT+ people and the elderly.

Matthew Barber, Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, said: “I am delighted to announce that my office has successfully secured this additional funding from the Ministry of Justice for the next three years. It will provide essential support to many organisations supporting victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence across the Thames Valley.

“This will also be used to fund dedicated posts to supporting particular groups who for a range of reasons can be less likely to access support such as men, older people and victims within LGBTQ+ and BAMER communities.

“Not only will this funding make a difference to these organisations, but also ensures victims and survivors are supported for the long-term. In addition, we will be able to increase the level of specialist service provision to provide victims better access to much needed support to help them recover from the harm they’ve experienced.”

Overall, 19 organisations will receive some of the money provided by the Ministry of Justice, this includes:

Aurora New Dawn - A new stalking service which will provide specialist support to victims of stalking across Thames Valley

· Browns Community Service – Providing counselling support for victims of sexual violence and/or domestic abuse across Thames Valley

· Hourglass – Funding two Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) to support older people in East Berkshire, Oxfordshire and North Buckinghamshire

· Parents and Children Together (PACT) – Will provide group and one-to-one support (including play therapy) to children aged 5-11 who have witness domestic abuse across Berkshire and Oxfordshire

· SAFE! - Funding three Independent Domestic/Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVA/IDVAs) for the Thames Valley and a group programme to support young people aged 11-18 who have experienced trauma due to domestic abuse.

A spokesperson for the commissioner stated that further details on other support projects isn’t available as these schemes are still being set up.

When further details are made available about the not-for-profit support systems they will be made available to the public on the Victims First website here.

The police encourages anyone who has experienced sexual violence or domestic abuse to seek support from Victims First either by calling on n 0300 1234 148 or by visiting the website.

Support is available regardless of whether someone has reported the crime to the police or not, the commissioner's office advises.

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