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West Midlands PCC Awards Funding

Good news! We have secured £80,000 funding from the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, to support survivors of sexual violence and abuse. “We are delighted to have received this one off grant,” Lisa Thompson, Chief Executive of RSVP said. “This will make a big difference to our clients.”

We can now increase our helpline hours for crisis support, and increase our counselling hours, which will help reduce the time that people have to wait for counselling, currently 7 months, down to 4 months. To give extra self-help support we will also introduce a 10 week cope and recover group, to build people’s coping and self-help strategies. This therapeutic group will support clients to understand their symptoms and deal with the immediate effects of sexual violence and abuse.

“There can be life after being raped or abused,” says Lisa. “People do not forget what’s happened but they can learn to cope with the effects and turn their lives around. We are extremely grateful to the PCC and his Office for providing funding, to enable us to help even more people to turn their lives around.”

As one of our clients commented, “RSVP gave me the confidence to come forward and speak about what had happened to me. I am ready to live my new life now.”

BBC Children In Need Funding

We received great news in March, as we were notified that we’d been awarded a grant from BBC Children in Need of £102,396. This will be spent over 3 years and will provide independent advocacy support for sexually abused children and young people aged from 5 to 18 years. This funding is a 3 year extension and a continuation of a current 3 year grant, to help vulnerable youngsters to be better informed about their choices, whilst receiving specialist support after they’ve reported sexual abuse, sexual violence or childhood sexual exploitation.

“We’re delighted that BBC Children in Need have awarded us an extension to our current grant, meaning that our advocacy service will  be offered until at least 2019” said Lisa Thompson, Chief Executive of RSVP. “We’d also like to say a big thank you to all those fundraisers and supporters across the UK whose kind donations have helped to make this happen. This funding will help us make a real difference to the lives of children who have experienced a devastating trauma at an early age.”

Clients like this young person who told us, “Thank you for being there.  Your help meant I could attend court when I had to.  I had forgotten what my life was like before the sexual abuse happened. You made me realise my strengths instead.”

Working with Self-Harm

Spaces are available for a one-day training event on self-harm and trauma, on Friday 10th June in Birmingham city centre. This workshop is aimed at practitioners working with clients who self-harm. It is intended that by the end of the day practitioners will have an understanding of why people self- harm and how to approach the subject in a meaningful and useful manner. Practitioners will be encouraged to think about how they might assess the seriousness of the harm and offer alternatives for dealing with the issues their clients face.

Course outline

• Outline, Intros, expectations

• What is self-harm

• Functions of self-harm

• Understanding the behaviour

• Alternatives to self-harm

• Addressing other issues

• The Script System

• The Feelings Loop

• Feedback, closing remarks, endings.

Trainer: Lesley Parker MSc, CTA is a registered Psychotherapist and Supervisor with over 20 years’ experience of working with clients presenting with these issues amongst others. She currently works as a supervisor and also runs a small private practice offering training and supervision.

Tickets: £80 for voluntary organisations and individuals, £95 for statutory/private organisations. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.  Please note that we need 7 working days notice before the event for cancellation refunds.

For more information, and to book a place go to www.eventbrite.co.uk

Trauma-related Complex Dissociation – Origins & Consequences

Spaces are now available for a one day training event delivered by First Person Plural, the dissociative identity disorders association.The event will take place in Birmingham city centre on Thursday 26th May.

This event on trauma related dissociation is suitable for any professional working with vulnerable people. Complex dissociation will affect individuals’ needs, their relationship with supporters and how they respond to any supportive or treatment intervention. Thus, an access level of understanding will be beneficial to anyone working in primary health care (including GPs), mental health, education, supported living, domestic abuse, drug/alcohol services, rape & sexual violence / childhood abuse services, criminal justice or social and pastoral care in the statutory, voluntary or private sector.

Counsellors, psychotherapists and similar, including those who already have some training and experience of working with dissociative clients, have found this training day a useful addition to their learning. Well supported stable survivors who have a complex dissociative disorder, and their family and friends may find the course a useful psycho-educational resource.

Learning Objectives:

• To raise awareness of dissociation and its role in surviving abuse or trauma.
• To introduce the dissociation continuum and the spectrum of dissociative disorders, including dissociative identity disorder (DID)
• To understand the reality of living with dissociative identity disorder
• To explore practical ways of supporting people who experience complex dissociation

Tickets: £75 for voluntary orgnanisations and individuals, £90 for statutory/private organisations. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.  Please note that we need 7 working days notice before the event for cancellation refunds.

For more information, and to book a place go to www.eventbrite.co.uk

Vacancy: LGBT ISVA

RSVP are recruiting a LGBT Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ISVA) to support and empower people affected by, and those vulnerable to, sexual coercion, sexual violence and sexual exploitation. The LGBT ISVA will support survivors accessing Umbrella Sexual Health services across Birmingham and Solihull and work closely with Birmingham LGBT Centre to coordinate, design and provide a targeted service for the LGBT community.

This is a part-time post, 19 hours per week.

It is essential you have experience of working with victims of sexual violence, and some knowledge of the criminal justice system, although training will be given. Successful applicants will be required to start immediately.

The deadline for applications is 5pm Sunday 3rd April 2016.

Read more about RSVP’s ISVA service.

Download the job advert

Download the LGBT ISVA Job Description

Download the application form

Survey – outreach clients

As part of our ongoing feasibility study into outreach services, which we ‘re hoping will result in more RSVP services being made available in local outreach posts, we’re looking for client feedback on our services.

If you have accessed RSVP counselling via Dove Medical Centre, Castle Vale Childrens Centre, SIAS (Solihull Integrated Addiction Services) or Solihull and Chelmsley Wood Citizens Advice Bureaus we’d really appreciate it if you can complete this online survey.

www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RSVPoutreach

All responses are anonymous. Your feedback will help us to shape and grow services in the future.

Local Hero

Have you got what it takes to be a Local Hero?

This April, Localgiving is celebrating all the fantastic fundraisers who put themselves out to raise money on behalf of a local charity. From marathons to bungee jumps; sponsored silences to fire walks.

To help give a boost to their efforts, Localgiving will award £5,000 in prizes to the causes supported by the top 20 fundraisers in April. Participants will be ranked according to the number of unique online donors from whom they secure sponsorship throughout the month. The top fundraiser will secure a prize of £1,000 for their chosen cause!

In 2015, the top prize was awarded to Ability Dogs 4 Young People thanks to their fundraiser, Mick – who secured donations from 157 unique donors by jumping out of a plane! Read more about Mick’s story here.

Set up your fundraising page now

To take part, simply set up your free fundraising page now.

Key facts

Here is a list of the key facts about the campaign. If you have any more questions, please check the Local Hero FAQs.

Start date & time: Friday 1st April at 00:00:00

End date & time: Saturday 30th April at 23:59:59

Conditions of entry: Each active fundraising page on Localgiving was eligible to take part.

Process: Fundraisers will be ranked according to the number of unique donors who sponsor their page within the campaign start and end dates. Donations made outside of the campaign dates will not count towards a fundraiser’s ranking.

Prizes: The top 20 fundraisers at 23:59:59 on Saturday the 30th of April will be declared the winners. Prizes will not be given to the fundraiser, but awarded directly to the charities for whom they are fundraising. Prizes will be awarded as follows:

Charity & supporter limits: Only one donation made by each unique donor counted towards a fundraiser’s ranking. There was no limit to the number of prizes any single group may receive.

*Terms & Conditions apply.

Charity Comedy Night at The Victoria Feb 28th

For one night only, some of the finest national talent together in one room for your amusement and for the benefit of some very good causes.

Sunday 28th February

• Venue/Location: The Victoria, John Bright Street, Birmingham
• Doors: 19:30 – 22:30
• Tickets: Minimum entry fee £10 (£5 unwaged)

Bond Night Fundraiser!

Shaken Not Stirred is a glam night celebrating the best of the Bond films and theme songs.

Each table/booth is themed to a James Bond film and we will be treated to some amazing entertainment and pyrotechnics.

There will be a fun casino in the Green Room where you can win a great prize for making the most money.

Photographers will be on hand for glam or fun pictures.

Dress code is Black Tie/Evening Wear or a Bond film character. There are amazing prizes for the Best Dressed To Kill male and female.

The raffle and auction will also bag you some great prizes on the night.

Our aim is to raise much needed funds for RSVP (Rape & Sexual Violence Project) here in Birmingham and Solihull.

Tickets available HERE.

Join us

RSVP are recruiting volunteers to join their expanding counselling service.

We are looking for qualified counsellors and psychotherapists with spare time to give to a good cause. We are also looking for students on Counselling and Psychotherapy Diploma or Degree courses looking for a great placement opportunity.

Download the cover letter and application form.

For an informal chat and to find out more call Anjella on 0121 643 0301