The Advocacy Service at SARSVL offers women, in the Leeds area, specialist emotional and practical support from trained and experienced Independent Sexual Violence Advocates (ISVAs). The service is open to women 18+ currently, and we are extending this service to young women survivors (16-17 years old), in the New Year. In order to do so, we need to invest in resources, and make sure that we remove any barriers to access for the young women who wish to use our Advocacy Service.

Anita and Leslie* were supported by ISVAs at SARSVL. Here’s what they have to say about the support they received:

“Before I came to SARSVL I was so traumatised and felt so sad and upset all the time, about what happened to me.  When I started seeing the ISVA I started to feel more confident and got so much support from her.  I would like to thank you for all the support that has helped me get through this.  Thank you very much.”

“The main thing was knowing my rights, after years of believing I had none, I know now that I can speak up confidently if I am being unfairly treated.”

Our Advocacy Service helped Anita and Leslie*, but we know there’s more work to be done. With your help, we can assist young women survivors access the specialist support they need from trained and experienced ISVAs in a women-only safe space.

This winter, we ask you to pledge £5 to support young women survivors. Every £1 donated will make a difference in the lives of the young women who access our Advocacy Service. Help us support young survivors in 2019, find our Just Giving campaign page here.

Donate today, and spread the word.

If you would like to donate regularly to support SARSVL, you can do so here. If you wish to set up a standing order, please contact anupriya@sarsvl.org for more information.

* Names have been changed for confidentiality reasons