Back our campaign
As we aim to meet the rising demand in Norfolk
More people need us than ever before
The number of people reaching out to Sue Lambert Trust for support continues to rise. But our funding does not. That's why we're asking our supporters to back our campaign - 'More Room to Care'.
Our aims:
- To call on government departments, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner in Norfolk and the NHS to increase funding for Sue Lambert Trust so we can meet demand and support everyone who needs us
- To raise £290,000 enabling us to fund new, larger, more appropriate counselling premises in Norwich; allowing us to increase capacity, offer more appointments and drive down our waiting list
- Increase public awareness about the rising numbers of people living with the trauma of sexual abuse and sexual violence, and ensure decision makers understand that inadequate funding for support services for survivors needs to be addressed. And, if the support isn’t available, the detrimental effect this has on the wider health, economic and social systems.
Why now?
There is a sexual violence epidemic in the UK.
On 23 July 2024, the National Police Chiefs’ Council stated that violence against women and girls was on such a scale that it was declared a national emergency. At the same time, reports of sexual abuse and violence against men and boys are also increasing, adding to the crisis.
As cases of sexual violence increase, so does the demand for support, provided by charities like ours. But, frighteningly, there is no centrally funded NHS support service in Norfolk for people to access, if they are living with the trauma of sexual abuse or assault. Instead, the NHS in Norfolk signposts victims to charities like us. Charities that are under growing pressure.
As a small charity, we’re extremely proud of what we continue to deliver in Norfolk, and the difference we make to people’s lives. But to continue this support and meet the increasing demand we need more funding.
- 57% of our clients are signposted to us by the NHS, including a GP, hospitals, Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust and the Wellbeing (Talking Therapy) service.
- Self-referral calls are growing. In June 2024 we received 93 calls. A 52% increase when comparing June 2024 to June last year.
The facts
At Sue Lambert Trust we:
- Support 600+ people per year (2023/24)
- Provide 250+ appointments per week including one-to-one counselling or support appointments
- Receive 81 calls every month asking for our support
At the end of August 2024, we had 138 people waiting to be offered counselling. And are having to ask people to wait eight months for their counselling to begin.
This doesn’t have to be the case.
Greater investment in our charity would enable us to increase the counselling hours we can offer, allowing us to support more people, sooner.
Because behind all these numbers are real people, with real lives, families, relationships and careers. People who are held back by the trauma they have experienced, unable to feel safe and unable to build a fulfilling and confident future. People who have been abused, assaulted, in some cases multiple times over their lifetime. Victims of crime who deserve to be heard and should have access to professional, therapeutic support to heal.
What's the goal?
- To provide professional, specialist, compassionate support for all survivors of sexual abuse and sexual violence, in a timely manner.
- To cut our waiting lists, and double the amount of counselling appointments we can offer over the next 5 years.
- To fundraise £290,000 from corporate donors, individual donations and trusts to invest in a bigger, more appropriate space in Norwich where we can continue to deliver specialist counselling, recruit more qualified counsellors and meet the growing demand for our services.
- To make sure that government departments, the Police and Crime Commissioner and the NHS fully meet their obligations to support survivors of sexual abuse or violence.
We need More Room to Care
Please back our campaign, we need to act. Now.
What can you do?
1. Follow Sue Lambert Trust on Facebook and Instagram and share our campaign posts #MoreRoomtoCare
2. Write to your local MP in Norfolk. Highlight what we do, and why it matters. Because without more funding, we cannot continue to meet the increasing demand on our services. Find your local MP at www.theyworkforyou.com
3. Ask your employer or local businesses to nominate us as their charity, or make us aware of any grants or trusts in Norfolk that we can apply for.
Other ways you can support us
Norfolk businesses
Get fundraising! Sign up to one of our events, host your own, sponsor one of our counselling rooms or talk to us about nominating Sue Lambert Trust as your charity of the year. Show that you stand side by side with survivors of sexual abuse, living in Norfolk.
Get involvedGrants and Trusts
Funding is hard to come by, and we are making funding applications all the time. But we are aware there may be grants or trusts we have not applied for. Please; if you know of any schemes that would consider funding our charity, contact us today.
Contact usMPs and Ministers
We are writing to Norfolk MPs to inform them of the scale of the issue here in the county, outlining why we need more funding from central government in order to continue providing professional, specialist counselling services to local people. Referrals from the NHS to Sue Lambert Trust continue to rise, without any centralised funding for delivery.
You can write to your local MP too. Please make them aware of us, our work and how we make a difference. Share our clients' stories.
Find your MP
Why support our campaign?
By backing our More Room to Care campaign you will help us to help thousands more people to heal.
We are the main specialist charity in Norfolk supporting people who have experienced sexual violence and sexual abuse, and we know our support makes a difference.
Over our 40 years, we have helped more than 20,000 people to recover and rebuild their lives after the trauma of sexual violence.
Our clinical team and counsellors are skilled, experienced professionals and have supported people to turn their lives around, as they begin to heal from their trauma. We know we can do so much good to support people to understand their past, that they were never to blame and make steps towards a brighter future.
Without that support, our clients tell us that they would have continued to suffer in silence, forced to live with the devastating impact of their trauma, causing severe mental health issues, inhibiting their ability to work, form relationships and live well.
With More Room to Care, we can enable more people to heal and recover from the trauma of sexual abuse and sexual violence.
Read our client stories to hear it first hand.
"Because the charity specialises in working with people who have been sexually abused, or those who have experienced rape or sexual violence, I trusted them and instantly felt at ease. It was a safe space where, finally, I could confront the past."