Portsmouth rape and abuse service to offer counselling sessions in Havant and Gosport for first time thanks to nearly £500,000 funding boost

Portsmouth Abuse and Rape Counselling Service in Portsmouth, are celebrating being awarded £355,000 in National Lottery Funding to support their work with adult survivors of sexual abuse in South East Hampshire.

Pictured is: (back l-r) Helen Hogben, children's independent sexual violence advocate, Kâren Benac, volunteer, Alice Fieldman, business support manager, Rachel Swanton, children and young persons councillor and Erin Norris, administrator, with (front) Kim Hosier, centre director.

Picture: Sarah Standing (200220-8227) — Portsmouth Abuse and Rape Counselling Service in Portsmouth, are celebrating being awarded £355,000 in National Lottery Funding to support their work with adult survivors of sexual abuse in South East Hampshire. Pictured is: (back l-r) Helen Hogben, children's independent sexual violence advocate, Kâren Benac, volunteer, Alice Fieldman, business support manager, Rachel Swanton, children and young persons councillor and Erin Norris, administrator, with (front) Kim Hosier, centre director. Picture: Sarah Standing (200220-8227)

Portsmouth Abuse and Rape Crisis Service (PARCS) is celebrating being awarded £355,000 in National Lottery funding to support its work with adult survivors of sexual abuse in south-east Hampshire. It means counselling sessions can now be put on in Havant and Gosport for the first time.

Last year PARCS had 865 referrals for specialist counselling.

The team has also been given £120,000 from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation for a project to support women and girls to have their voices heard and create change.

Centre director Kim Hosier said: ‘The funding from the National Lottery is amazing because it means we can deliver support in Havant and Gosport for the first time.

‘A lot of our clients from those areas have to travel into Portsmouth and many don’t have access to a car and have to use public transport. Having sessions near them will be so helpful at a time when they need it most.

‘It will also mean we can offer more long-term therapy and we can be more flexible which is really important.’

Part of the cash will also go towards setting up a gardening group.

Kim added: ‘Some people who have been through abuse don’t necessarily want to talk about what they have been through but just spend time with people who have a similar experience so a gardening group is perfect.

Portsmouth counsellor supports children as young as 5 through court process

‘We are going to start small and just work in the centre’s garden but we hope to expand and do projects in Portsmouth so if anyone has any land they want tended then we would love to hear from them.’

The team have recently finished fundraising for a pod in the garden that will be specifically for children to use in their support sessions.

The £120,000 from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation will fund a three-year project in Portsmouth that was piloted last year.

Kim said: ‘From statistics it is women and girls that predominantly experience abuse, not only – as men and boys do so as well – but females predominantly.

‘The money will mean we can carry on with a project that was started last year and gave women across the city the chance to have their voices heard on issues and help them to lobby councils and ministers to make changes.’

PARCS was established in 1981 by Diana Warren-Holland in response to a lack of services for survivors of rape and sexual abuse.

The charity also began offering services to men and two years later established a counselling service for young people.

Since 2012 PARCS has been offering counselling to adult survivors of domestic abuse.

Call 023 9266 9513 or email [email protected] for information on children, young people and parents/ carers support.