Show your support for survivors in Clackmannanshire

Clackmannanshire Council are currently carrying out a community consultation on the budget for 2018/19. The council has recognised that the level of savings they are now required to make by law to balance their budget can no longer be made without them having an adverse impact on the community and people living in it.

One of the options being considered is a re-design of women’s crisis services in the hope of saving £20,000 a year. This is an amount that exceeds our current Clackmannanshire Council contract. The crisis services being referred to here are our service (Forth Valley Rape Crisis Centre) and Clackmannanshire Women’s Aid.

At a time where the capacity of our service is stretched by both a lack of resources and an ever increasing demand for our service we do not believe it is possible to cut anymore funding from women’s services without it resulting in serious harm for survivors in Clackmannanshire. As a feminist organisation we support people of all genders. Whilst this is framed as a cut to women’s services (as women would be most adversely impacted as a percentage of the population) it would threaten the support of all survivors of sexual violence living in Clackmannanshire.

Clackmannanshire council has funded FVRCC since it was founded in 2016 and without continued funding from Clackmannanshire Council our centre could face closure.

We know that being able to access our services is an essential part of many survivors healing and it is our responsibility to ensure the voices of people using our services are heard in the consultation process.

Here a survivor living in Clackmannanshire explains in her own words what our service has meant to her.

The Council wants to hear from local people about the impact these cuts might have. We would greatly appreciate the support of all local people who value our service in responding to the consultation.

This can be done here:

https://clackmannanshire.citizenspace.com/communications-department/budget-consultation-2018-19/