31st March 2014

Wellington Rape Crisis launches appeal week

Today Wellington Rape Crisis launches its annual appeal week that will see the service taking part in seven days of awareness raising and fundraising, culminating in their annual street appeal on Friday the 4th of April.

Wellington Rape Crisis supports survivors of sexual violence and their families and relies heavily on community donations to make their service viable.

Wellington Rape Crisis Agency Manager Eleanor Butterworth says, “The way the Wellington community gets behind us is inspiring, but it is a sad fact that sexual violence services are still only receiving approximately 30-40% of their funding from government. It is literally the goodwill of our community that keeps our doors open.”

“People collecting for us and people donating should know this money is not just a bonus for us, it is what pays for our core services!”

Butterworth says their annual appeal is also about visibility of support services.

“Research released in British Medical Journal the Lancet earlier this year placed New Zealand third highest of 56 countries for sexual assault on women over 15 by an intimate partner. And while statistics have their limitations, study after study shows that sexual violence is something many, many people experience in their lifetime. We also know that receiving the right support can make all the difference to survivors.”

“Being proud and visible on appeal day goes beyond collecting money, it also a reminder to survivors and those who love and support them that there are services out there who can help the healing journey.”

Annual Appeal Coordinator Tabby Besley notes that the importance of the appeal to Wellingtonians is evidenced in the numbers coming forward to support the street collection each year.

“The number of volunteers and businesses supporting our annual appeal continues to grow each year; showing that the issue of sexual violence is one that remains prevalent for many in our local community. We want to extend a heartfelt thanks to all volunteering, sponsoring and donating – we would not be able to run the appeal or sustain our services without your support.”

Besley says, “Please support Wellington Rape Crisis this year by donating to the street collectors on Friday 4th April or running your own fundraiser or collection at your workplace – every little bit counts!”

For more information about how to donate, check out www.wellingtonrapecrisis.org.nz

An estimated 1 in 4 women and 1 in 20 men in New Zealand will be victims of a sexual assault at some point in their lives.

http://www.police.govt.nz/news/release/34693.html

The demand for our specialist services are increasing. Wellington Rape Crisis Social Work client contacts increased from 543 in 2010-2011 to 1480 in 2012-2013 while counselling sessions have increased from 236 to 369 in the same period.

ENDS

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