We, as a fandom, have the power to turn our love for these characters into real, tangible change, and have demonstrated this with previous fundraisers for the British Deaf Association and our hugely successful wedding fundraiser for Just Like Us. Now, with Ben and Callum entering their most difficult and impactful story to date - Ben’s rape - it’s more important than ever that we, as a fandom, turn our feelings into something productive.

Recent research from Survivors UK (https://www.survivorsuk.org/blog/silenced-survivors-report) found that 45% of gay and bisexual men have experienced sexual assault - 10 times that of the general male population - and yet these stories are rarely told to a mainstream audience. Furthermore, research suggests that the average amount of time between a man experiencing sexual assault and telling anyone about it is 26 years - the age that Ben is today.  

Ben’s story is not only important for raising the issues of consent and sexual violence within the LGBTQ+ community, but because it has the power and reach to change the lives of LGBTQ+ survivors and help them find the support they need. And we, as fans, want to help by raising money for Survivors Manchester. 

Survivor’s Manchester is a survivor-led and survivor-focused organisation that aims to support male (including trans and non-binary individuals) survivors of sexual abuse, rape and sexual exploitation across Greater Manchester. They previously worked with Coronation Street on David Platt’s rape story, and have been huge contributors to Ben’s story, with both Max (Ben) and Aidan (Lewis) talking about how invaluable their advice, support and stories have been in creating this story. 

“What I loved about Duncan (Survivors Manchester’s founder) and Survivors Manchester was that nothing was off-limits. He said ‘I want you to be able to ask questions freely, so don’t be worried to say anything, just ask’. It takes years and years of self-building and understanding after such trauma to be able to get to that stage. I was utterly inspired by him. Hearing what it was like [to be raped] at that young age was heartbreaking - Duncan is an amazing man, and Survivors Manchester is an amazing charity.” - Max, speaking to Inside Soap. 

“The EastEnders research team and Survivors Manchester - who I have worked with on the story - have been so supportive. I’ve had many conversations with them to ensure we’re telling this story accurately. It’s been a real privilege, and a fantastic experience as an actor.” - Aidan, speaking to Inside Soap. 

Please join us in harnessing the power of fandom to raise money for this fantastic charity and help them support even more survivors. 

Jenn and Erin x