Annual Report April 13 March 14 - PARCS - home · Telephone Support service (ETS), our Helplines and our pre-therapy group. We also offer emotional We also offer emotional and social

Providing support to

survivors of abuse

since 1981 Reg charity 1079950

Annual Report April 13 – March 14

2

Providing support to survivors of

abuse since 1981

Contents

3 Mission Statement

4 List of Acknowledgements

5 Chair’s Introduction

6 Centre Director Introduction

11 PARCS Statistics

15 Evaluating the Therapy

16 Empathy Matters – Services for Young People

22 PARCS Volunteers

25 What Else Have the PARCS Team Been Up To?

30 Partnership Working

31 Purple Ribbon Fundraising

33 Support the Work of PARCS

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abuse since 1981

Mission Statement

Portsmouth Abuse and Rape Counselling Service (PARCS)

aims to prevent sexual and domestic abuse through its

community based educational programme delivered to

young people, parents, carers and professionals.

PARCS also addresses the impact of sexual abuse (no matter

when the abuse took place) by providing specialist

counselling, psychotherapy, group therapy and telephone

support.

PARCS provides supervision, training and consultancy to

external organisations. The charity also recruits and trains

volunteers who support the work of the charity.

PARCS operates within Portsmouth and its environs and

provides services to women and men aged 11 and above.

PARCS is a registered charity (number 1079950) and a

company limited by guarantee (number 3643599).

PARCS work is undertaken by a small team of paid staff and

volunteers supported through fundraising and the provision

of local and national funding.

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abuse since 1981

List of Acknowledgments

For financially supporting PARCS work, we thank:

Portsmouth City Council Lloyds TSB Foundation Denplan

Hampshire County Council Children in Need Zurich

Ministry of Justice TK Maxx

Havant Borough Council the Tudor Trust

Generous and much appreciated, donations were received from:

University of Portsmouth Phil Burner (Photoaid)

Kate and Louise Mahoney All of the bands from our Halloween fundrasier

Del Atkins

Also, to the many other individuals who kindly sponsored events or donated to our waiting room collection.

Thank you to our clinical consultants and supervisors:

Mary Burner, Liz Shelley, Stella Ridley, Mel Bates, Jane Reed-Jones, Niki King

For again providing our annual volunteers ‘thank you meal’, we are immensely grateful to:

Karen and David Moore, The A Bar Bistro, Portsmouth

For their skilled and professional advice and support we acknowledge:

The Really Helpful IT Company Patrick Stratford ICE Electrical Paloma

For their generous support in maintaining PARCS websites we thank:

Jamie Temple (website design and support) who volunteers his time and expertise.

Finally, to each dedicated individual who has given their time, energy and skill to volunteer and support the work of PARCS and collectively transform

the lives of survivors of abuse and their families.

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abuse since 1981

Chairs Introduction

Welcome to this, the Annual Report on the work of PARCS over the last 12 months.

And despite the difficult work we do, it has been a very positive year in many ways. The number of

people we were able to help is at historically high levels. This in turn can only be achieved by the

dedication and professionalism of all our staff and volunteers. I am immensely proud of their

commitment to the care and support of all of those who use our service.

But you don't have to take my word for it! In terms of attracting funding to support the work we do,

our supporters have consistently put their trust, and their money, in our ability to deliver a much

needed service. That support demonstrates a belief in the quality of the work we do and the people

who deliver it.

Of course nothing is perfect and certainly not in the voluntary sector. Many charities work hand-to-

mouth with an uncertain funding position. We read and hear much about how the economy is on

the mend, but local authorities are still having to tighten their belts because of cuts to their own

central government grants. This has caused much uncertainty at PARCS and I make no apology for

again paying tribute to the staff and volunteers, who have not let this affect them.

As ever, my thanks go to all my fellow trustees. They are a small but dedicated group of volunteers

who bring a great deal of experience and skills in their support of PARCS.

During the year, PARCS staff and volunteers also enjoyed another wonderful evening as the guests of

Karen and David Moore at the A Bar. My thanks to them as ever.

My thanks also go to our funders, who make it possible for us to deliver our service:-

Portsmouth City Council Hampshire County Council

Hampshire Police Authority Ministry of Justice Children in Need

Lloyds TSB Foundation

We very much value your continued financial support and the interest you take in PARCS.

Sadly, I have to report on the passing of Diana Warren-Holland, the founder of PARCS, earlier this

year. I was very privileged to be invited onto the Board by Diana fifteen years ago, and try to bring

the same ethos and values that she had in abundance. Of course, it is impossible to recreate her

qualities, passion and drive, but the good standing and reputation that PARCS has is a fitting tribute

to her in itself.

Best wishes.

John Paton, Chair – PARCS Board of Directors.

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abuse since 1981

Centre Director Introduction

PARCS – April 2012 – March 2013

PARCS emerged in 1981 as a grass root initiative run by women for women. Individual centres

emerged in different ways some were the result of months of planning whilst others sprung up

virtually overnight. All of the centres developed in response to the needs of survivors of sexual

abuse and most had a backbone of volunteers, as is true today.

Finding the resources to support the work of the charity was a constant challenge, particularly in the

early days when rape and sexual abuse was even more hidden. However, funding was sought and

acquired from many different sources often with a great deal of effort and inventiveness.

Initially PARCS provided telephone and practical support but later developed to provide specialist

counselling, psychotherapy, group work and a preventative outreach service. PARCS began offering

services to men in 1994 and in 1996 its counselling and outreach service for young people (aged 13

years and above) was launched.

Whilst PARCS continues to believe that it is important to provide a specialist therapeutic service for

survivors, the charity also wanted to have an impact on the incidence of sexual abuse/exploitation

and rape, believing that prevention has to be better. The charity has developed its outreach

programme to reflect this aim.

PARCS offers workshops and projects to suit the individual needs of schools, youth centres, special

schools and pupil referral units. PARCS aims to empower young people to take responsible choices

and to think about relationships in a mature and conscious way.

Funding

Portsmouth City Council has been the main financial supporter of the work of PARCS for a number of

years. This has enabled the charity to provide specialist support, counselling and, more recently,

domestic abuse counselling. The support of Portsmouth City Council has been crucial in developing

PARCS preventative programme.

The work of the charity is also supported by a contract from Hampshire County Council and grants

from the Ministry of Justice, Havant Borough Council and The Office of the Police and Crime

Commissioner, Lloyds TSB, The Tudor Trust and Children in Need.

PARCS sought additional funding throughout the year in order to maintain and develop its specialist

preventative and therapeutic services. The charity aims to build an internal ‘referral pathway’

engaging with the local community through its preventative work and providing specialist

therapeutic support and therapy (telephone, individual and group) for those who need it.

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abuse since 1981

Service Philosophy

PARCS is a full member of The Survivors Trust, a national umbrella agency for specialist rape and

sexual abuse services that aim to support and empower survivors of rape and sexual abuse and/or

childhood sexual abuse through:

Providing a connective voice and peer networking for members.

Raising awareness about sexual abuse and/or rape and its effects on survivors, their

supporters and society at large.

Informing and acknowledgement of effective responses to, rape and sexual abuse on a local,

regional and national level.

Core Belief

PARCS believes that the sexual abuse and/or rape of girls, boys, women and men is preventable and

PARCS challenges society to acknowledge both its reality and society’s individual and collective

responsibility for it.

CORE Values

PARCS supports working in ways that:

Recognise human rights and dignity.

Appreciate the variety of human experience and culture.

Demonstrate a commitment in showing justice in dealing with others.

Encourage the continual development and improvement of the professional knowledge of

its staff, volunteers and trustees.

Ecological Framework

The ecological framework recognises the multi-faceted nature of sexual violence and childhood

sexual abuse, and encourages the exploration of the relationship between individual and contextual

factors. Sexual abuse and childhood sexual abuse are seen as the product of multiple levels of

influence on behaviour involving relationships, the individual, community and society.

The ecological model takes into account the individual, relationship, community and societal

influences and is most helpful in understanding the factors that influence sexual abuse and rape and

provide key points for prevention and intervention.

The Team

PARCS services are provided by a small team of dedicated paid staff and volunteers, overseen by a

Board of Trustees.

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abuse since 1981

Counselling Portsmouth and South East Hampshire

The counselling and psychotherapy service offers free specialist therapy to both women and men

who have experienced sexual abuse whether as children, adults, or both. Prior to accessing

counselling or psychotherapy clients are offered a pre-assessment appointment before attending an

initial assessment and counselling/psychotherapy. Counselling is provided by a team of volunteer

and staff counsellors. The counselling team have undertaken specialist trauma focused training and

are trained in a variety of models; including trauma focused Sensorimotor psychotherapy, CBT,

EMDR, person centred, psycho-analytic and Gestalt therapy. Counselling is reviewed on a regular

basis using a variety of models including CORE (Clinical Outcomes for Routine Evaluation) and IES

(Impact of Event Scale).

In the aftermath of the Saville publicity PARCS experienced an increase in demand for services. We

continue to offer support to the clients on our waiting list by ensuring regular contact is maintained

and providing appropriate signposting. We also offer additional support through our Emotional

Telephone Support service (ETS), our Helplines and our pre-therapy group. We also offer emotional

and social support through our singing groups (see below).

Pre-Therapy Group

PARCS ran its second pre-therapy group April – June 2014. The group was a collaborative project

between PARCS and The Metanoia Institute. It was based on a handbook written by tutors from the

Metanoia Institute and the PARCS Centre Director. The group was facilitated by two members of the

staff team

Emotional Support

PARCS continued to develop its ETS service providing support to clients who are waiting for face to

face counselling.

Helpline

PARCS Helpline offers one to one support for survivors of sexual violation, their families and carers.

It also signposts callers on to other services, where appropriate. The support line is open 3 times a

week and has a dedicated line for women and men aged 18 years and above.

PARCS Singing Groups

PARCS runs 2 groups financed by the charity’s fundraising efforts. Do Rae Mi is held fortnightly at

Somerstown SureStart Centre. It is facilitated by Janet Ayers (Natural Voice Practitioner) and a

member of the staff team and is open to parents and pre school children.

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abuse since 1981

Finding your Voice

Finding your Voice is held at the Centre on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. The

group is open to existing clients alongside clients who have finished their counselling/psychotherapy.

There is mounting evidence that regular group singing can be clinically beneficial for people with

mental health issues.

Domestic Abuse Counselling

PARCS provides counselling for survivors of domestic abuse (resident in Portsmouth and South East

Hampshire) aged 18 years and above. This service is supported by a grant from Lloyds TSB.

Young Persons’ Counselling

PARCS provides a safe, non-judgemental space where young people (aged 11-18 years) can begin to

explore and make sense of what has happened to them. Sexual abuse is associated with poor

academic achievement (difficulty concentrating at school, poor attendance) relationship difficulties

(mistrust of others, inappropriate sexualised behaviour) mental health issues (substance misuse,

eating disorders, suicide, depression) and physical issues (unwanted pregnancy and sexually

transmitted infections) (NSPCC 2009).

PARCS supports young people to work at their own pace using a variety of approaches including

creative materials.

Counselling for Parents/Carers

PARCS provides short-term counselling for the parents/carers of young people who are accessing the

service. PARCS recognises that parents/carers often need help to make sense of what has happened

in order, to support a young person who has been sexually abused and/or exploited.

PARCS Outreach and Prevention

PARCS community based outreach and prevention programme began 18 years ago and is funded by

Portsmouth City Council and last year PARCS was awarded a grant from the Tudor Trust in order to

develop its community based project. PARCS aims to prevent sexual abuse and interpersonal abuse

by engaging with young people and the wider community (parents, carers, teachers etc). The project

is based on a whole community Bystander approach. The Bystander approach to sexual abuse

develops skills and guidance on what to do as well as raising awareness of sexual abuse more

generally.

It has clear personal relevance for all the participants which leads to increased engagement and

retention of the material by young people. It avoids alienating male participants and encourages

community responsibility. Rape supportive beliefs are challenged by peers and this has greater

impact when compared to challenges from adults. PARCS approach also builds empathy for survivors

of sexual abuse and rape.

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abuse since 1981

The Outreach worker has also undertaken specific work with ‘hard to reach’ young people who are

at greater risk of sexual exploitation.

Volunteering

PARCS has 55+ volunteers supporting the service at any one time. PARCS staff team provide regular

support, supervision and training to its volunteer team. This year we had a celebration recognising

volunteers who have volunteered with the service for 5 and 10 years, an amazing achievement.

Purple Ribbon

Purple Ribbon is the fundraising and promotional arm of PARCS. It raises additional funding for the

service and promotes the specialist services provided by the charity.

Thank you to all those who have contributed to Purple Ribbon over the past year, we cannot thank

you enough.

We also have a number of clients who have expressed their thanks by making donations to the

charity; again thank you to everyone who has supported us in this way.

Partnership Working

PARCS remains committed to multi-agency and partnership working and works with a range of

agencies in the city and surrounding areas. This includes local schools, colleges and the university,

CAMHS, sexual health services, adult mental health services, substance misuse services, the police

and the SARC, the Early Intervention Project, Aurora New Dawn and a wide range of third sector

agencies. PARCS attends and contributes to the following meetings:

Serious Sexual Offences

Child Sexual Exploitation

E Safety

Domestic Abuse Forum

PHSE Meetings

Children and Young People’s Alliance

PARCS liaises with Basingstoke, Winchester, Southampton and Guildford Rape Crisis Centre. The

charity is an organisational member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and

meets The Survivors Trusts National Service Standards

PARCS Pulse

PARCS Pulse is PARCS quarterly newsletter which is skilfully edited by a PARCS volunteer and

distributed to the volunteer and staff teams.

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abuse since 1981

PARCS Statistics

PARCS provides services to residents in Portsmouth and across South East Hampshire. The

following statistics provide a snapshot of the work undertaken for the period April 2013—

March 2014. Where necessary details have been omitted in order to protect the identity of

clients/service users. The following statistics relate to all clients who have accessed the

service for the period of the report.

Fig 1 Number of counselling hours provided by year

540 528637

1274

1859

2195221120782083

19822192

18421794

2205

3190

2853

3540

4692

4745

5608

5660

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

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abuse since 1981

742 Support

calls taken

“PARCS

has been

an absolute

life saver at

a time

when I was

quite

mentally

unwell, on

long term

sick “from

work and

didn’t have

a penny to

my name”

550 were referred and/or received a service

9% of

PARCS

clients

were

male

11% of PARCS clients

were aged 11 - 18

88 Received Emotional Telephone

Support (ETS) and the ETS

service provided 289

calls

237 clients

received face to

face

counselling

8 clients attended

Group Therapy

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abuse since 1981

“I was at the

end of my

ability to

carry on

when I was

told about

PARCS. With

their help I

was able to

become the

person I

should

always have

been. Thank

you!!!!!”

Of the 550 who referred

to PARCS for face to face

counselling

54% were addressing

Childhood Sexual Abuse

13 % Historic Adult Sexual

Violation (incident/abuse

occurred over I year ago)

10% Recent Adult Sexual

Violation (incident/abuse

occurred with the last

year)

22% Domestic Abuse (45%

of these referrals are for

DA with sexual violence)

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abuse since 1981

PARCS Statistics

Referrals

PARCS has seen a steady increase in the number of people referred to the charity. This is

partly due to the provision of new services. However, demand for support by survivors of

sexual abuse and their families continues to rise year on year .

Fig 3 Number of new referrals received April 2013-March 2014

Geographical Area Number of Referrals

Portsmouth (aged 18+) 196

Portsmouth (aged 13-18) 30

South East Hampshire (aged 18+) 85

South East Hampshire (aged 11-18) 60

Domestic Abuse (aged 18+) 130

138

78 72

121 127152

121

166 177

242

355383

421

501

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

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abuse since 1981

• Average CORE score at the onset of therapy67

• Average CORE score at the end of therapy24.5

Evaluating the Therapy

Core Evaluation:

The following information relates to all adults seen at PARCS (aged 18 and

above). PARCS clients start therapy with an average CORE score of 67 this falls

within the moderate – to severe level on the clinical range.

These final scores show an average drop to a score of 24.5 . The clinical cut off

point where a person is considered ‘healthy’ or ‘low level’ is a score of 34

Adult Sexual Violence Service

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abuse since 1981

Empathy Matters Services for Young People

Prevention – 121 – Counselling

Working towards ending interpersonal abuse empathymatters.co.uk

Prevention

PARCS specialist rape awareness and

prevention services for young people were

established in 1996 with funding from

Portsmouth City Council.

PARCS continues to deliver bespoke training

programmes around the themes of sexual

bullying, domestic abuse and child sexual

exploitation. We also provide 121 support

following our workshops for young people who

need additional support.

A grant from Tudor Trust has enabled the

charity to develop a whole community

approach. PARCS believes that sexual abuse is

preventable and that everyone can play a part

in ending interpersonal abuse and violence.

‘Do you know

what, out of all

their attendance

this has been the

lesson I see most

of them in for.’

Lecturer

"made me

realise I've

been in an

abusive

relationship"

Young person

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abuse since 1981




Young Persons’ Counselling

The following extract is an edited summary of a report provided by

Louise (Young Persons’ Counsellor Portsmouth). It covers the period

August – January 2014 and refers to young people from the

Portsmouth area.

14% of clients were pregnant or had young children

A number of the young people receiving counselling at PARCS are

pregnant or have young children. 10% of the referrals in this sample

were made by the Portsmouth Family Nurse Team; some of the

young people within their remit having experienced sexual abuse.

Intrafamilial Abuse

The clients within the sample have often experienced sexual abuse

by family members or those close to their own birth family.

Intrafamilial abuse can have an enduring impact on their own

attachment patterns and their perception of ‘the family’. Survivors

may be more likely to blame themselves for the abuse if the abuser

is a loved member of the family, dealing with adult shame can be

particularly complex. The survivors ability to trust adults is

shattered. This in turn can cause a young parent to be extremely

anxious about their own child’s safety.

"I wanted to

speak to someone

so I could feel like

me again, and I

feel like I am

getting there. I

still worry and still

feel stressed

about things but I

feel less angry.

The silence isn’t

as difficult to sit

in because it

wasn’t my fault!"

Female aged 16 using 1-2-1

service

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abuse since 1981




Sexual Abuse and Pregnancy

The sexual abuse can have a huge impact on an indivual when they

become a parent themselves. For young women, the birth itself can be a

very traumatic experience. Invasive procedures and the sense of being

helpless can replicate the original abuse that they experienced. They can

feel that once again they are not in control of the situation and this can be

extremely upsetting leading to poor intial bonding as they feel controlled

by the demands of their baby.

Support

Some of the young people who attend PARCS do not live with their childs

birth father/mother and may be isolated. Some however do have the

support of their families or may be seeking to re-establish relationships

with them. A lot of work carried out by the Young Persons’ Counsellor at

PARCS focusses on relationships and how young people may establish

equal and trusting relationships in the future, both now with their families

and their peer group. They may not have expereinced healthy relationships

in the past

The support of the non-offending parent is extremely

important in the young persons’ healing process.

Support for Parents

PARCS also offers counselling (six sessions) to the non-offending parent or

a carer so that they feel supported in providing help, in the appropriate

way, to the young person.

“I love

coming

here, I can

take my

shoes off

and talk

about

things I

can’t with

anyone

else. I love

your chairs” Young Person receiving

Counselling

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abuse since 1981




Early Help

It is only by offering counselling support at an early age that young people can then go on to have a

different life experience and be able to offer a different experience to their own children.

47% of the young people experienced mental health problems

47% of the referrals to the Portsmouth young persons’ team are made by mental health professionals such

as CAMHS and Talking Change. Many have received support from CAMHS and are then referred to PARCS

for specialist sexual abuse counselling.

Self harm and suicidal ideation is common within this client group. 42% of the group self harm. The work

of the Young Persons’ Counsellor focuses on exploring more helpful coping strategies in a non-

judgemental environment.

23% of this group have a learning disability

Those with a learning disability are particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse and are often targeted by

perpetrators. Furthermore those with a learning disability are less likely to be protected by the law and

safeguarding systems.

By attending counselling those with a learning disability are given a space where they are listened to and

this can be a new experience for those whose voice has not always been heard. This may have caused

them to stop expressing their views because they have not felt heard. Counselling gives them a space

where they are not infantilised and an opportunity to safely express their feelings.

42% of the young people within the sample were victims in court cases

Young people can often find the court process very confusing and disturbing; this can be because they

have to deal with a large number of different people and become confused as to which roles different

people play. One young person gave feedback:

“it was very good to have one counsellor the whole way through when people in the court case were

coming and going”

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abuse since 1981




Because PARCS is able to offer long term counselling, and it can take on average 18 months for a case to

progress to court, the Young Persons’ Counsellor at PARCS can support the client both before and after a

trial. Even if the outcome of the trial is positive for the client, some clients still attend counselling after the

trial as this is often when clients may feel in need of even more support and are in a position to be able to

start to examine how they may begin to rebuild their lives.

14% of this group had problems with alcohol and drugs

It is common for survivors of abuse to use alcohol and drugs to block out painful emotions and intrusive

memories. The strategies then become problems in themselves. It is particularly risky for young people to use

alcohol and drugs to excess as they potentially establish a habit for the future; alcohol and drugs can have an

adverse effect on their neurological and physical development. They are potentially more vulnerable to

violence and further abuse; they are more likely to engage in risky behaviour and become involved in criminal

activity linked to their drug use.

Appropriate and timely counselling can address some of these issues supporting young people in building

resilience foe the future.

Isolation

Some of PARCS young clients are very isolated and thus more vulnerable to future abuse. By attending

counselling they are making contact with the outside world – in the case of the young client who had lived

alone, attending counselling was initially the only contact that she had with another human being during the

week. At the end of the counselling she wrote:-

“it has been helpful to have support to cope with isolaton. I have been able to return to my university course

and feel much better about myself”

The client had been very reluctant to attend counselling and to leave her house. She attended PARCS

regularly for 18 months.

21


abuse since 1981




“I am

happier with

my life and

feel that I

can now look

forward

instead of

looking back

to painful

memories. I

have learnt

how to deal

with my

feelings” Young

Person receiving counselling

“I only feel able to talk about

stuff here at PARCS” Young Person receiving

counselling

“You are the only

person who volunteers

to see me every week,

who knows so much

about me, just about

everything, and still

comes back every

week” Young Person receiving counselling

“Very supportive and

friendly. From day one, I felt

comfortable”Young Person receiving

counselling

“Counselling is

the one main

thing that has

helped me get

out of a pit of

bullying, an

eating disorder

and the loss of

my mum” Young


“It was good to have one

counsellor the whole way

through when people in

the court case were

coming and going” Young


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abuse since 1981

PARCS Volunteers

PARCS currently has 55+ volunteers working within the service. PARCS provides

individual and group supervision and a comprehensive training programme for

all its volunteers. Below is some of their feedback regarding their experience of

being part of the team. It is taken from a survey which is completed on an

annual basis by volunteers.

It gives people a safe place to come and talk about what they need. It

does not rush people out the door to chase good statistics. It offers

compassionate non judgmental support. PARCS offers staff and

volunteers a place where they too can feel safe and valued. PARCS is

innovative, creative, active and passionate! I could just go on and on!!

The atmosphere is like one big family

and feel very much supported within

that.

The subject matter is grim, the service for the clients is unique but the team work is outstanding and satisfying. I enjoy working with like-minded people for a worthwhile client group who need to be listened to and believed and fully supported to move forward with their lives. I like the ethos and spirit of PARCS and the way that they conduct themselves and also have fun with social events and fundraising too. I like to support their Finding Your Voice group led by a Natural Voice Practitioner for survivors who have received therapy via PARCS. I have also been able to attend relevant and interesting training provided by PARCS staff in order to do my job as a volunteer better.

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abuse since 1981

PARCS Volunteers

Helpline, Face to

Face

Counselling,

Administration,

Prevention, Website Design,

Wellbeing Groups,

Trustees

24


abuse since 1981

PARCS an opportunity to grow

I started at PARCS as an admin volunteer in 2010 working alongside Jo in the

office, helping out with the day to day running. I was on my own personal

journey after returning to college to complete my GCSE’s in Maths and English

and also studying an Access course in Health and Social care all as a mature

student.

The PARCS team gave me a huge amount of support throughout my education

and I gained a place at University of Portsmouth to study Criminology and

Criminal Justice.

In my last year at University I wanted to give something backs to PARCS and

was given the opportunity to grow further as a researcher. My University

Dissertation was titled ‘To Open a Can of Worms’ A critical examination of

Loss, Trauma and Recovery of a Survivor of Domestic Abuse. PARCS allowed

me to evaluate the twelve week domestic abuse counselling service.

The dissertation allowed the clients voice to come through regarding how they

felt about the journey of counselling for them. This is where PARCS differs from

other organisations - the clients are at the heart of the team and PARCS is not

afraid to allow them to speak and their voice to be heard.

So I would like to dedicate my dissertation to the PARCS team for their

encouragement and to those PARCS survivors of domestic abuse who shared

their journey with me and thank them for being part of my journey as it came

to an end.

PARCS gave me an opportunity to grow as an individual of the team and I thank

them all from the bottom of my heart.

Sandra

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abuse since 1981

What Else has the PARCS Team been up to

Upsetting Abuse – Piece by Piece

In 2013 PARCS launched a project to create a large quilt consisting of thoughts, attitudes

and feelings towards sexual and domestic abuse. We have photographed the process as we

go along and have promoted the work as widely as possible. The finished quilt will be

displayed in PARCS and used to promote awareness of the impact of sexual and domestic

abuse through social media and events both locally and nationally. This includes a

conference we have planned for December 2014.

"Sometimes I feel full of exclamations!! But I cope because there"s a full stop ..."

“My square seeks to upset abuse

by highlighting the culture of

victim blaming that is so

pervasive in society and needs to

be overcome”

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abuse since 1981

What Else has the PARCS Team been up to

“Stranger danger” Most

domestic abuse and sexual

abuse and rape happens at the

hands of someone known or a

“loved one”

“Don’t air your dirty

laundry in public –

but that stopped me

talking”

“My flower – to remind

me when he sent me

bunches of flowers to say

sorry for the abuse”

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abuse since 1981

The Courage to be Me

At the end of 2012 a group of women who had experienced rape/sexual abuse and who were on the PARCS waiting list for therapy joined the charity’s first Pre Therapy Support Group. The group was a pilot written and developed in collaboration with the Metanoia Institute.

This work was an inspiration for The Courage to Be Me; a graphic novel. The book has

proved a popular resource for survivors of sexual abuse and their families.

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abuse since 1981

Woman of the Year 2013

In 2013 Kim Hosier (PARCS Centre Director) was runner up in the

Woman of the year award. Kim was nominated by the team and

had absolutely no idea about the nomination until her invite to

the awards ceremony arrived!

This award recognised the devotion and work Kim has given to

survivors of sexual and domestic abuse.

Royal Visit, Treetops, Portsmouth

In February Kim Hosier was invited to meet with Camilla Duchess of Cornwall during her visit

to the Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Portsmouth. Camilla praised the work of staff and

volunteers who work with victims of rape, sexual abuse and violence.

PARCS in the Community Portsmouth University Womens Football Team

The University of Portsmouth Community Club was set up five years ago by a group of

players who had left the University but wanted to continue playing football. Within the five

years they had recruited enough players for two Women’s teams and the First team had

won double promotion taking them to play their football in the South West Combination

League.

PARCS sponsorship began in September 2013 and the aim was to raise the profile of the

charity in an area people might not expect it to be seen. Throughout the season PARCS has

featured on the front and back of the Women’s kit and the team have taken match photos

with Parcsy, who became their official mascot. As well as raising awareness amongst the

football club and within the University this sponsorship has also promoted the charity in The

Portsmouth News, on twitter, Facebook and within footballing communities across

Hampshire.

PARCS hope to develop their links with the team further this year to include some

student/young person mentoring and community workshops across Portsmouth.

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Is this Love Campaign

This year PARCS prevention teamed up with the Safer Partnership team to devise and create

an awareness campaign for young people around domestic abuse.

PARCS were approached to help write the campaign by Portsmouth City Council who

wanted support with the content as they really wanted to ensure young people would

engage with it.

The Is this love? theme was created alongside a group of young people who advised us that

many people struggled with recognising what a healthy, respectful relationship looked like.

We also decided that appealing to the bystander (the friend) rather than speaking to

survivors felt a bit safer.

PARCS and the Safer Portsmouth team also decided that as this was a resource for young

people the campaign needed to be as digital as possible although posters for bus shops and

post cards were created for schools to hand out.

The website: http://www.saferportsmouth.org.uk/campaigns/2014/is-this-love-

portsmouth/#.VE_LGZUqVoA provides young people with a source of information from

recognising abuse to getting support for a friend. A ‘check your relationship’ online quiz also

allows young people to check in with what’s happening for them.

The campaign has been receiving positive feedback from young people across the city.

http://www.saferportsmouth.org.uk/campaigns/2014/is-this-love-portsmouth/#.VE_LGZUqVoA

http://www.saferportsmouth.org.uk/campaigns/2014/is-this-love-portsmouth/#.VE_LGZUqVoA

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Partnership Working

PARCS remains committed to multi-agency and partnership working and works with a range of

agencies in the city and surrounding areas. This includes local schools, colleges and the university,

CAMHS, sexual health services, adult mental health services, substance misuse services, the police

and the SARC, the Early Intervention Project, Aurora New Dawn and a wide range of third sector

agencies. PARCS attends and contributes to the following meetings:

Serious Sexual Offences

Child Sexual Exploitation

E Safety

Domestic Abuse Forum

PHSE Meetings

PARCS liaises with Basingstoke, Winchester, Southampton and Guildford Rape Crisis Centre.

The charity is an organisational member of the Helpline Partnership, British Association for

Counselling and Psychotherapy and meets The Survivors Trusts National Service Standards

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Purple Ribbon Fundraising

Purple Ribbon have been very busy in the past year and have raised amazing £4781.99. PARCS fundraising activities also promote the charity throughout the local community. The Trustees acknowledge the dedication and support of many individuals who have raised significant amounts of money and raised awareness of PARCS through collections and other fundraising efforts.

£4781.99 raised by Purple Ribbon

What does Purple Ribbon Fund?

Travel costs for Young Persons’ Counsellor to work out in schools and colleges in South East

Hampshire

Finding your Voice client singing group

Mobile telephone costs for the PARCS team who are not office based.

Great South Run

Big Bands for Bad

Monsters

Cardiff Half Marathon Birmingham Half

Marathon Walk the Inca Trail

Cycletta Santa Run

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abuse since 1981

PARCS Purple Ribbon

The PARCS team have been busy

promoting the service in several ways

over the last year. Parcsy in New York

PARCS

team at

the

Southsea

Show,

August

2013.

PARCS fundraisers at

Cardiff Half Marathon

Some pictures

from PARCS

fundraising band

evening, October

2013

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abuse since 1981

Support the Work of PARCS

We provide our services free from discrimination and free of charge.

PARCS welcomes your support in the following ways:-

Volunteer with us. Contact [email protected] or visit our

website www.parcs.org.uk

Make a donation or sponsor an event find out more at

https://mydonate.bt.com/charity/charitySearch.html search PARCS

Fundraise for more information contact [email protected]

Payroll Giving. Does your company offer the facility to deduct

a small amount from your pay slip each month for charity? If so, why

not set up a regular donation to PARCS? It is tax free and a great

source of support for our work.

School Fundraising. Your school can help us reach more

young people by hosting a fundraising event or campaign. By

organising your own event, you can raise awareness about violence

and abuse.

Sponsorship. Make a difference by sponsoring PARCS.

Follow us on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/PARCS/281916861827392

Follow us at Twitter @PARCSRapecrisis

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.parcs.org.uk/

https://mydonate.bt.com/charity/charitySearch.html

mailto:[email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/PARCS/281916861827392

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abuse since 1981

This annual report was written, designed and produced by the PARCS Team.

PARCS PO Box 3, Portsmouth

Office: 023 9266 9513 parcs.org.uk

Email: [email protected]

Portsmouth Abuse and Rape Counselling Service Ltd, Charity Number 1079950

Board of Trustees

John Paton (Chair)

Carolyn Exley, Lyndsey Marshall, Duncan Paterson, Tessa Norgate

PARCS is an organisational member of the British Association of Counselling

and Psychotherapy

A Member of the Helplines Partnership

Working to The Survivors Trust National Service Standards

http://www.facebook.com/jo.pearse1#!/pages/PARCS/281916861827392

https://twitter.com/PARCSRapeCrisis

Documents

Annual Report April 13 March 14 - PARCS - home · Telephone Support service (ETS), our Helplines and our pre-therapy group. We also offer emotional We also offer emotional and social