3 July 2014 PCC secures £245K to support domestic and sexual abuse victims Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore has been successful in securing £244,842 of Government funding which will be used to further improve victim services across the county. Successful projects put forward for the Competed Fund include specialist support in Waveney to support children and young people affected by domestic abuse, support for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse and support for black and minority ethnic women fleeing domestic violence. This Ministry of Justice grant award is part of a £12 million pot raised through offenders paying a ‘victims surcharge’ that PCCs have been able to bid against with the emphasis on innovative technologies and specialist services, to support victims of crime across the country. Tim Passmore, Suffolk PCC said: “I am absolutely delighted. This is fantastic news for Suffolk. These grants strengthen and widen our work with victims across the county and will give organisations working with victims the desperately needed funds to support their valuable work. This will see a real improvement in victim care and help to fill some of the gaps where provision is lacking. “I am really pleased to see Suffolk securing such a significant amount of the funding and I know it will make a positive difference to many people’s lives.” Victims’ Minister Damian Green said: “Victims of crime need and deserve the best possible support to cope with what they have been through. That’s why Government is raising more money than ever before from offenders to fund vital services to help victims move on with their lives. “The excellent and innovative ideas put forward for this fund show exactly why PCCs are best placed to understand the needs of their local communities and commission the majority of victims’ services. I’ve no doubt they will make a difference to victims up and down the country.” The projects to benefit from this funding are: Pain and Anxiety Distraction System for Child Victims £12,000.00 Specialist Support for Black and Minority Ethnic Women Fleeing Domestic Violence £34,926.00 Specialist Counselling Service for Women, Young People and Children £35,000.00 Specialist Support for Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse £26,880.00 Specialist Support in Waveney to Support Children and Young People who are Affected by Domestic Abuse £38,247.00 Commissioning of Therapeutic Group Programmes for Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse £19,040.00 Therapeutic Services for Victims of Sexual Abuse Aged 12-18 £29,460.00 Advice and Guidance Sessions for Male Victims of Domestic Abuse £9,921.00 Workshop Sessions for Vulnerable Young Victims of Domestic Abuse £26,021.00 Special Financial Drop-in Services for Victims of Domestic Abuse £13,347.00 Total £244,842.00 This funding is in addition to a range of measures brought in by the Government to provide unprecedented support for victims, including the new and improved Victims’ Code and pre-trial cross-examination for young and vulnerable witnesses.