Who we are

A small group of woman students started Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre in 1982. In the past we have had paid workers but for many years we have all been volunteers. Some of us are students and some of us live and work in the Cambridge area. We are a registered charity and operate as an all woman collective. Our primary source of funds comes from Cambridge RAG Committee, without which we would not be able to continue running the helpline. We also receive an annual grant from Cambridge City Council that contributes towards our accommodation costs.

How we work

Survivor or victim

We use the word survivor to describe the women who have suffered rape or sexual abuse because to 'survive' means to 'continue to live'. The term victim makes invisible the other side of women's victimisation: the active and positive ways in which women resist, cope and survive.

Referrals

We consider self referral to be essential. Part of healing from sexual violence is re­learning to take control over the survivor's life. Sometimes family and friends, wanting to help a survivor, suggest she contact us and occasionally put pressure on her to do so. For every survivor, coping with the trauma is an individual process and it is essential that she be allowed to follow her own path of healing. We will always be glad to talk to family and friends to help them find ways of supporting a survivor.

What we do

We offer a confidential service of support and information provided over the telephone. Our volunteers will listen to what you have to say. They will help you to find ways to express difficult feelings and situations. We do not make judgements about the women who use our service nor do we tell them what to do. We do not profess to have any answers. We aim to give women a space to talk about their own issues at their own pace. We do not currently have the facilities to offer face to face meetings although this is something that we are aiming to offer in the future.

What we mean by confidential

We will not repeat anything you say outside Rape Crisis. We do however discuss our work with the whole group. This is to get ideas and support from each other and to learn about our work. We also hope that this will enable us to provide a better service to our callers as it means that you will not have to repeat anything you have said previously. We do not report anything that is said to us to the police or any other outside body unless the woman involved asks us to.

Our service is open to all women

We will work with any woman who feels she needs our service. Women call us weeks, months, and even years after the assault. It is never too late to talk about the feelings and fears women have surrounding sexual violence.

Time limits

Please bear in mind that our resources are limited, and as such we impose a limit of one call per week of up to 30 minutes to ensure maximum access to the service. We also limit the number of calls a caller can have with us to 20. Some women speak to us only once, others use our service sporadically over a period of years. This will depend on you.

How much does it cost?

Our service is free.