Rape Crisis centre's funds battle (From Bucks Free Press)

Rape Crisis centre's funds battle

9:27am Tuesday 3rd July 2007 in

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WYCOMBE'S Rape Crisis Centre is an "annual battle" to run because of constant funding problems, says its director.

Christina Diamandopoulos said trying to find money to run the centre is a "nightmare" as none of the cash it receives is annually guaranteed.

At the moment the centre is being run on 90,000 a year but it really needs almost double this to provide all the help it can for sexual assault victims.

Most of its services are now under threat after applications for funding from a Government scheme and the National Lottery were turned down.

“These are victims of crime and so their support should be funded properly"

ristina Diamandopoulos, Centre's director

Christina said: "These are victims of crime and so their support should be funded properly by specialist-funded services like ours, so it's an annual battle unfortunately.

"For a whole year to support each woman costs around 1,000. If they were to go in as an inpatient in mental health, which some of them end up in if we're not there, it would cost more than that a week."

In 2006, the centre, which keeps its location anonymous, was awarded 26,750 from the Home Office's victim fund, but this year its application was unsuccessful.

And for the last two years it has received funding from the National Lottery, but this year there was not enough left in the pot for the centre.

It has received regular small contributions from Wycombe, South Bucks and Chiltern District Council but even this funding is not guaranteed.

Buckinghamshire County Council, meanwhile, gives nothing to the centre but Christina said they were in negotiations to try and secure some funding from it.

Staff are now applying to other trusts and funds for cash but if nothing comes through soon the centre will have to slash most of its services in August.

An emergency meeting to see where the centre stood financially was due to be held yesterday.

Rape Crisis centres across the country are also being threatened by funding cuts.

Since 1985, the number of crisis centres has fallen from 84 to 32.