Hear Me
This registered charity was established in 2013 as a direct response to a lack of support for people who had been sexually abused. It is based in Forfar, and covers the largely rural area of Angus on the east of Scotland. Hear Me states its aims are to ‘provide free and confidential specialised trauma specific counselling for men, women and children (aged 8+ ) who have experienced (or been affected by) the trauma of sexual abuse at any time in their lives’. It works on an outreach basis and is the only specialist support service of its kind across the area. Support by telephone and counselling outdoors supplements the face-to-face support and last year around 70 people benefitted from support and advocacy.
Hear Me was awarded £6,000 at the February 2019 Trustees’ meeting. Funding will be put towards volunteer expenses and contribute to the core costs of running the charity. Outcomes of the work include improved training of volunteers and strengthening the organisation, and improved and quicker access to counselling and support services for beneficiaries.
