Thanks for visiting my fundraising page. My name is Saxon and I’m a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. It’s taken me a while to be able to say that out loud, and certainly something I never expected to be saying on a public platform.

I’ve decided to fundraise for Gloucestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (GRASAC) to stand in solidarity with fellow survivors of sexual violence. My case isn’t an unusual one. 1 in 6 children have experienced sexual abuse in the UK and 1 in 4 women have been raped or sexually assaulted as an adult, as well as 1 in 18 men.

WHY GRASAC AND WHY NOW?

When I disclosed my abuse at 13, one of the first things I did was start planning a fundraiser for other survivors. I didn’t realise it then, but it was my way of coping: look outward, stay busy and focus on anything except what had happened. Understandably, between trying to navigate life after abuse, the legal process, and staying afloat at school, that fundraiser never happened. Instead, I pushed this part of myself down and carried on.

Things changed over the last couple of years. I burnt out, quit my job and moved to Gloucestershire. In doing so I finally slowed down, stopped running and allowed myself to start healing. I’m not there yet (spoiler alert, there’s no such thing as being fully healed), but as I turn 30 this year, I’m living in a way that my younger self could never have imagined - happily, healthily and embracing my story rather than hiding it.

Sexual violence and child sexual abuse remain devastatingly common, and their impact on survivors is profound and long‑lasting. GRASAC plays a vital role in supporting survivors across Gloucestershire, as well as pushing for wider change across the justice, health, and education systems as a Rape Crisis England and Wales affiliate. I want to help them continue that work.

Rape crisis centres across the UK are fighting to survive due to underfunding, and when specialist support is stretched thin, survivors face delays and barriers in accessing justice. GRASAC provides this essential support, and my hope in this fundraiser is to help protect vital, local, trauma-informed care in the region. GRASAC’s services are accessible and inclusive to all survivors, while maintaining a feminist ethos that prioritises the experiences of women and girls.

This fundraiser feels like the right way to honour the child I was, the strength she carried and the future she fought for. I hope I can raise awareness, support other survivors and say thank you to the younger me who kept going when it felt impossible.

WHAT’S THE PLAN?

Simply put, I want to raise £5000 by scaring the living daylights out of myself.

Survivors of sexual violence live with fear in ways that most people never see. It’s the kind that arrives uninvited and stays. For me, this fundraiser is about acknowledging that reality and reclaiming some power back from it.

The Brave Enough Project is about feeling the fear and doing it anyway. This isn’t a message to other survivors to push themselves or face anything they’re not ready for. Healing doesn’t work that way. It’s the way I’ve chosen to honour the courage survivors already show every day just to keep going, to exist and to heal.

Over the next 18 months I’ll be taking on three different challenges that scare me as a symbolic act of solidarity with those who live with a fear they never asked for:

1) Tough Mudder (The Endurance Fear)

I’ve never been one for fitness or mud, so I didn’t expect the two together to be on the cards. This year I’ll be challenging myself physically and mentally by taking on a Tough Mudder in August. The training starts now!

2) Wing Walking (The Survival Fear)

I hate adrenaline. I hate the feeling of falling. Won’t go near a rollercoaster. Enough said. So let’s climb a plane.

3) Art Exhibition (The Vulnerability Fear)

Fear of a very different kind, but the idea of sharing my artwork in a public space fills me with dread. I’m not one for putting my creativity out there, but it’s time to get practicing. Date TBC.

This fundraiser is about choice, agency, and reclaiming strength. Every survivor’s path is valid, every pace is the right pace and facing every day is brave enough.

I’ll be posting updates here as well as on my Instagram (@_saxonrose), so please do follow along and share this page on your own platforms if you can. I’ll also be sharing some thoughts on what it means to be a CSA Survivor and reflecting on my experience and healing process.

Thank you for reading and for any money should you choose to donate. It means the world and I’m so grateful for the support.

Warmest wishes and solidarity, always,

Saxon xXxXx