According to the statistics, one in four women have experienced sexual violence (around 85,000 every year). But many women and girls never feel able to tell anyone about it, so while the stats can't tell us exactly how bad the problem is, the fact is it is far too common.

Many women never share what happened because they think they won't be believed or they'll be blamed for what happened to them. That's why services like SARSVL are so important and why in October I will be running the Yorkshire Marathon to raise money for the incredible work that they do.

I've been volunteering at the SARSVL helpline for a few years now, and I have witnessed first hand how valuable the space is to allow women and girls to speak about their experiences in a safe, supportive and non-judgmental environment that can allow them to start their journey towards healing.

My knees hurt just thinking about it and it will be a massive challenge, but I could not be doing it for a more brilliant cause, and I would really appreciate anything you could contribute! :)

It starts with believing, and your donations will help SARSVL to support even more women and girls across Leeds through the Helpline, counselling and advocacy services:

£475 pays for eight face to face sessions of trauma informed therapy with a specialist qualified counsellor
£45 is the hourly rate of interpreter service for a survivor without English to access a specialist advocacy session
£15 covers childcare to enable a survivor to attend a face to face session

Thank you so so much for any donation you can make!

Romina