| “We’ve moved and are ready
for business!” said New Forest and Romsey Victim
Support Scheme Chairman, Mrs Maureen Robinson at the
start of National Victim Support Week on Monday, February
21.
The local scheme has moved into offices
at the heart of the community and is now based in The
Grove Community Offices, Hythe.
“We are now much more accessible
to people who need our services,” said Maureen
Robinson. “This is good news for our clients,
because it means that they can easily reach us and
get immediate help from our dedicated volunteers.
“In the last 12 months we have
been able to train four new volunteers; and enhance
the training of two of our existing volunteers so that
they are better able to help people who have experienced
serious crime. We have increased our service provision
for processing criminal injuries compensation applications,
and in 2004 we dealt with 52 – one application
every week of the year.”
The local branch, which is part of the
recently formed Hampshire and Isle of Wight Victim
Support Organisation, dealt with almost 1700 crime
referrals last year that ranged from burglary and criminal
damage to rape and murder.
“We are seeking the support of
the community during and after National Victim Support
Week, “ said Mrs Robinson. “The move to
The Grove has put us under some financial pressure,
so donations to our cause would be most welcome.”
Victim Support is asking people to give
up 60 minutes to do something more constructive than
take a rest, with a call to ‘make some time
for victims of crime’ in hour-long fundraising
activities during the week beginning 25 April. The
Sunrise Appeal aims to help the organisation provide
individual support to 250,000 more victims every year,
including children, older people, people with disabilities
and victims of hate crime such as gay men and lesbians,
and people from minority ethnic communities. |
Moving
times for New Forest and
Romsey
Victim Support Team 
