After 40 years of supporting victims and survivors of sexual violence RASA are finding it hard to meet the demands on the service in the year ahead. With a £100,000 deficit in our budget for 24-25 they need our help to stop them having to reduce services.

Despite the vital work they do, they are now being forced to make drastic cuts to our services. The combination of rising national insurance costs, the soaring cost of living, and, crucially, the government's continued failure to adequately fund services for survivors is putting their ability to help at serious risk.

In recent years, government and statutory funding for support services for survivors of sexual violence has failed to keep up with the reality of what money is needed—a failure that directly impacts the most vulnerable members of our society.

As the cost of living rises, these cuts have left them with no choice but to reduce their Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) service and cut back on the vital support they offer to children and young people affected by sexual violence.

These services are desperately needed, and yet, they are being forced to make impossible decisions that jeopardise the wellbeing of survivors who rely on them for help.

The government's neglect of this issue is both shocking and harmful. Survivors of sexual violence are some of the most vulnerable people in our society. They deserve immediate, accessible, and expert support. But instead, they are left to face the consequences of funding cuts and standstills that leave them without the services they urgently need. This is an unacceptable failure that cannot continue.

They are asking for our support today to ensure that these essential services remain available.

Waiting times for counselling will increase greatly. Children may need to wait far longer for help than they should ever need to - at a time when client numbers are increasing month on month.

Victims and survivors deserve to have the excellence put back into the service and they need our help to achieve that.

With our help, they can:

• Ensure survivors continue to receive expert support through the ISVA service, without which many will be left to navigate the complex legal and emotional aftermath of sexual violence alone.

• Provide much-needed emotional and practical assistance to children and young people, empowering them to heal and reclaim their futures.

• Keep their doors open to those who need us most during this incredibly challenging time.