Bucks charity raises concerns over funding and local support
SAASSBMK held a meet and greet at their new Aylesbury offices to discuss how to support survivors of sexual assault and abuse in Buckinghamshire
A local charity supporting survivors of sexual violence in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes has voiced concerns about funding uncertainty and a lack of local support.
The Sexual Assault and Abuse Support Service Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes (SAASSBMK), which recently moved to a new office in central Aylesbury, held a meet-and-greet event with local MP Laura Kyrke-Smith, where they discussed the challenges they face.
The charity offers face-to-face support for survivors and believes that raising awareness of their services is crucial.
Beki Osborne, CEO of the charity, said: "Awareness of our services for victims and survivors of sexual violence is so important so that they know we're here.
"We will always be here for them if they need any kind of support."
However, the charity has faced significant challenges in securing office space after their lease with the council ended unexpectedly.
Beki Osborne explained: "We were in a council-rented building and had expectations we could extend the lease to give us time to find a permanent solution.
"But that was unfortunately cut short, which left us in a difficult situation."
As a result, the charity had to fundraise to cover the rising costs of rent, which tripled during the cost of living crisis.
"We had to find a space that was safe, confidential, and discreet for the safety of our service users," she added.
Currently, government funding runs only until March 2025, with no clarity on whether it will be renewed.
Ms Osbourne said: "If we weren't to get that renewed or continued, it would provide us with a lot of difficulty.
"We'd probably be looking at reducing or closing services, and there could be staff redundancies."
MP Laura Kirk Smith's visit to the charity was welcomed as an opportunity to discuss these pressing issues, with hopes that she would push for long-term funding.
The conversation also touched on the broader challenges within the criminal justice system and the support survivors receive from statutory agencies like the NHS and the police.
The charity highlighted the low conviction rates for perpetrators of sexual violence, with only around 4% of cases resulting in charges and an even lower percentage leading to convictions.
They also stressed the need for trauma-informed training for police officers handling these cases.
As the charity continues to advocate for long-term funding and stronger partnerships with statutory agencies, they hope the issues raised will be addressed in Parliament.
"At the bare minimum, today has opened Laura's eyes to the realities of the work that we're doing," said Ms Osborne.
"We’ve definitely advocated for having a voice at the table."
The charity is now calling on the government to provide long-term funding and more collaborative efforts across agencies to ensure that survivors receive the comprehensive support they need.
What does the government say?
When concerns were previously raised in July, a Government spokesperson said:
"Funding for the Sexual Assault and Abuse Support Service Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes has not stopped. The Service will receive government funding through the Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner into 2025."
"The scale of violence against women and girls in our country is intolerable and this government will treat it as the national emergency that it is."
"Our measures will keep women safe from domestic abuse, rape and other sexual offences, stalking, harassment and other crimes as part of our mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade."