For 35 years, Victim Support has been one of the main support structures for victims of crime, witnesses, their family and friends.   What started out as tea and sympathy has transformed into a national charity that has helped over 25million people, and is a major voice around the criminal justice table.   

By focusing on the victim rather than the perpetrator, Victim Support provides the emotional and practical help often overlooked by the police and crown prosecution service.  Helen Cooper, a Service Delivery Manager elaborates – “Being a victim of crime can be traumatic and have a devastating effect on a person’s life. We recently helped a young man who was left for dead after a violent assault. He couldn’t turn to his family. We offer a support network to people to allow them to openly talk through what has happened to them.”

Despite the gaps in the justice system that Victim Support fills, it is a charity built on volunteers, who outnumber staff nearly four to one.  Increasing numbers of referrals from police, hospitals and even housing associations, coupled with the broad nature of incidents the organisation deals with, means it can be a very challenging role to fill.  

Sylvie, a Hackney volunteer for 6 years, is like many Victim Support workers, who themselves have been victims of crime. “I started volunteering after my home was burgled.  I knew that feeling of being a victim’ she explains. Sylvie has been able to work her studying around volunteering, developing her own skills in the process. “I have had both the satisfaction of helping people feel safe and comforted, while learning and developing myself” she says. All volunteers undergo rigorous training, while service managers and supervision groups are organised to share experiences and discuss how particular situations are dealt with.  As Helen Cooper puts it, “There is a strong safety net around our volunteer workers”.

Although funding for Victim Support has been secured over the next three years, they have not escaped some of the challenges facing the rest of the third sector. “We have had to undergo a significant restructure” explains Helen;

“our organisation is structured to support our volunteers, who are actually the people delivering our service. Without them, we would not be able to survive”. 

Victim Support in Hackney faces particular challenges, with the area having high levels of domestic violence, violent crime and a diverse community who are mistrusting of the police. The Olympics this summer is also likely to place greater demand on the services of Victim Support. “We always need new volunteer workers” says Helen, “particularly in areas like Hackney”.

If you are interested in finding out more about volunteering for Victim Support please contact Georgina Douglas – georgina.douglas@vslondon.org