£4.4 million of vital funding for victims in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire receives £4.4 million to fund victim support services over two years, part of a £550 million national investment to aid recovery and justice for survivors.
The UK Government is allocating £4.4 million to Cambridgeshire to provide mentoring, counselling and other support services for victim-survivors over the next two years. The funding will support local services such as the PCC Victim and Witness Hub and Peterborough Women’s Aid, which offer specialist assistance to help survivors recover and navigate the justice system. Victims Minister Alex Davies-Jones visited these services to meet survivors and acknowledge the work of staff delivering life-changing support.
The funding is part of a broader £550 million Government investment over three years aimed at advising and supporting victims and witnesses through the justice process. An additional £8.7 million has been ringfenced for Rape Crisis England & Wales to maintain the 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line, which provides confidential emotional and listening support to those affected.
Cambridgeshire’s Victim and Witness Hub offers support to all crime victims in the county, regardless of whether they report the crime to police. The Hub provides tailored emotional and practical assistance to help victims cope, recover and rebuild their lives with confidence. Locally based support is described as life-changing for those accessing it at the right time.
The Government is also investing £18.9 million in further support, including a new free national helpline delivered by Victim Support. This service will offer information, wellbeing and safety advice, and assist victims in accessing the support they need. Additionally, the Prime Minister has blocked early release for certain offenders convicted of serious crimes, including rape and child sexual offences, to ensure dangerous individuals remain incarcerated.