About RASASC in depth

The Rape And Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) is a UK Registered Charity based in Guildford, Surrey, founded in 1992 to help male and female survivors of rape or sexual abuse. We offer advice, support and counselling to anyone affected (directly or indirectly) by these issues. Clients can talk to us in complete confidence by calling our Phone Helpline or attending our counselling sessions.

- Strict confidentiality is maintained at all times -

Unlike many centres we work with female and male victims of sexual violence (whilst ensuring separate safe 'women only' and 'men only' client provision within the delivery of our services). We provide a confidential and caring range of service options to anyone whose life has been affected by rape or sexual abuse, whether recently or in the distant past.

Pictured: Clients' waiting area in our new office, following our successful relocation in Sept. 2011. Here survivors of sexual violence can peacefully gather their thoughts before/after attending discussions, counselling sessions or other meetings.

Sexual abuse can affect people in many different ways. Often there is no one for an abused person to turn to, no one with whom to share their feelings. Sometimes even a sympathetic partner or family member has difficulty understanding and coping with the aftermath. Experience has shown it's easier to talk to a skilled helper - someone who can be relied upon to listen carefully and empathise with the caller, without making judgements. That's why, at RASASC, we give all of our Helpline volunteers in-house training in depth.

Our administration staff also work to increase public awareness of the devastating long-term effect upon survivors of rape and sexual violence. We produce advice and guidance leaflets on subjects such as coping with depression and learning to control panic attacks, and we perform 'educational' work visiting statutory and voluntary organisations, community groups and even prisons to talk about the problems of sexual abuse and give invited presentations about the work of our centre.

But we are not government-funded (except insofar as the government sometimes makes special funding available for support centres like ours to apply for). By and large, our organisation exists only by means of occasional institutional grants and business sponsorships, direct donations from the public, fee-income from providing counselling sessions and the proceeds of fundraising events organised by dedicated friends and supporters.

If you've never suffered sexual violence at the hands of someone else, please nevertheless consider making a donation to RASASC. Every contribution helps a victim to become a survivor.