Lara's fundraiser for SARSAS (Somerset & Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support)
Lara Hryniewicz is raising money for SARSAS Somerset & Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support
Story
Lara climbs Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise money for SARSAS (Somerset & Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support).
100% of donations will go to SARSAS. I have self funded this trip, and so anything you donate will go, in full, directly to SARSAS.
I'll fly out on 17 December 2023, and reach the summit on Christmas day, returning home on 28 December 2023. It's an eight day gruelling hike through different extremes of both climate and surroundings. At the start, the average temperature will be around 19 degrees Celsius, plummeting to an average of -26 degrees Celsius at the summit.
Sexual violence is an incredibly traumatic and earth shattering experience; it is impossible for someone who has not experienced it to fully understand. Nobody should have to experience it, but sadly it's increasingly common.
In the year ending March 2022, 193,566 sexual offences in England and Wales were recorded (being the highest number ever recorded). The number of police recorded sexual offences has increased over the last decade, with the latest figure 31% higher than the year ending March 2021, and 19% higher than the year ending March 2020
Statistics show that 1 in 4 women have been raped or sexually assaulted, and 1 in 18 men have been raped or sexually assaulted.
5 in 6 women who are raped don’t report – and the same is true for 4 in 5 men. There are a number of reasons for this, with one example being that in 2022, less than 2 in 100 rapes recorded by police resulted in a charge that same year.
Nothing can erase sexual violence after it happens. But finding support can make a huge difference in helping individuals process, heal, and reclaim their lives. By donating to charities like SARSAS, we can help provide that support to members of our community who have to bear this terrible burden.
SARSAS exists to Listen, Believe and Support. They provide confidential services: helpline, live chat, email support, counselling, group work and art therapy.
Sadly, SARSAS are severely under resourced. All donations will help provide quality support, quickly to those in need.