£560,000 For Victim Services In Norfolk and Suffolk

3 July 2014, 15:06 | Updated: 3 July 2014, 15:09

Charities and organisations supporting victims of all kinds of abuse have been granted £560,000 by Norfolk and Suffolk's Police and Crime Commissioners.

Services across Suffolk will receive a share of £244,842 and Norfolk's organisations will get a share of £315,282 from a £12 million pot from the Ministry of Justice.

The money was raised through offenders paying a 'victims surcharge'. 

Norfolk's Police and Crime Commissioner placed seven bids for projects in Norfolk, to provide more support for victims of crimes like domestic violence, childhood abuse and rape.

The organisations include: A REACH Engagement project bid worth £12,080.00, a Comprehensive advocacy support bid, worth £134,534.00, a Mental Health Crisis Support bid worth £50,464, a Hate Crime and Hate Incident Advocates bid worth £51,468.75, a Norfolk Rape Crisis – Sue Lambert Trust bid worth £40,000 and a Reaching Out on Sexual Exploitation (ROSE) bid for £26,736.00.

We spoke to the CEO of Norwich-based charity the Sue Lambert Trust, Mette Ohrvik. They provide a counseling service for people that have experienced rape, child abuse and domestic abuse. She told us they'll be using their grant to repair and extend their existing building, meaning they can see more people.

At the moment they provide counseling for nearly 150 people a week but struggle to meet the needs of all the people in Norwich. The waiting list has more than 180 people on it and they have seen the number of people needing their support increase by 100 per cent year on year.

She says: "I certainly don't think things are going to level off any time soon, I suspect that this is going to be an issue that's going to grow and grow over the next decade but certainly we very much welcome this additional resource and just hope it'll continue."

Jenny McKibben, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, says: “This is excellent news for victims and the vulnerable in Norfolk. We are committed to improving support across all victims’ services, helping victims to cope with the impact of crime and recover from the harm they have experienced.”

Tim Passmore, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Suffolk placed bids for 10 different projects across the county.

Projects to benefit from the funds include: Friends of the Ferns, they have been given £12,000, the Phoebe project who get £34,926.00, the Lighthouse Womens' Aid who are getting £35,000 and Victim Support in Waveney who'll be getting £38,247.

Tim Passmore says: “I am absolutely delighted. This is fantastic news for Suffolk. These grants strengthen and widen our work with victims across the county and will give organisations working with victims the desperately needed funds to support their valuable work. This will see a real improvement in victim care and help to fill some of the gaps where provision is lacking.

“I am really pleased to see Suffolk securing such a significant amount of the funding and I know it will make a positive difference to many people’s lives.”