FURTHER calls have been made to give more money to help a struggling county support service for rape and sexual abuse survivors.

The West Mercia Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (WMRSASC) has said it would no longer be taking on more people for counselling due to a lack of money and was in desperate need of at least £800,000 to meet current demand and clear the waiting list.

Two more calls will be made by councillors this week for more money to ensure the backlog is cleared and the waiting list can reopen.

Battenhall councillor Louise Griffiths will be speaking at Tuesday’s full city council meeting to highlight the vital work the service does for survivors of rape and sexual abuse in the county as well as call for further support before a handful of county councillors will use Thursday’s full county meeting to call for more money.

Lib Dem Claines councillor Mel Allcott, St John’s Labour councillor Richard Udall, Pershore Lib Dem councillor Dan Boatright and Labour’s Rainbow Hill councillor Lynn Denham will then speak at County Hall on Thursday (July 15) over the “deep regret” felt by the news that the support centre had closed its already-long waiting list due to funding cuts and call for an “urgent” report into finding how the council can ensure the “essential” services continue.

The motion from Cllr Griffiths reads: “It is […] devastating to hear that the service has had to close its doors to new referrals whilst it clears the backlog of over 400 people currently on the waiting list, with a current estimated wait time of over 18 months from referral to a first face to face session.

“Whilst approximately one third of funding for the service comes from the Ministry of Justice, and the advocacy service is currently funded by the police and crime commissioner, there is a significant funding gap and it is no longer ethical or sustainable for the service to accept new referrals.”

Cllr Griffiths will call on city council leaders to work with Worcestershire’s MPs, the police and crime commissioner as well as the NHS and social services to commit to allowing the support centre to continue carrying out its “valuable and life-saving work.”

West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion, Worcestershire County Council and Herefordshire Council agreed to hand over a combined £320,000 to the support centre to ensure that its vital service continues for the moment.

Last week, WMRSASC chief executive Jocelyn Anderson said the funding boost was a “step in the right direction” but the service needed proper long-term funding so the region’s survivors could be supported.