Survive, North Yorkshire’s specialist sexual violence charity, has been forced to close its waiting list to all non-funded referrals once again — just 2 weeks after reopening — underlining the ongoing demand for specialist support services for adult survivors of rape, sexual assault, and Child Sexual Abuse.

The charity, which delivers trauma-informed support work, counselling, trauma therapy, and EMDR Psychotherapy to adult survivors across York and North Yorkshire, first closed its waiting list to non-funded referrals in May 2025 after sustained demand outstripped available funding and capacity.

Following funding from the Ministry of Justice, Survive reopened to non-funded referrals on Monday 27th April. However, the charity received an immediate surge in referrals from survivors seeking urgent support, forcing the waiting list to close again after only 2 weeks.

The closure leaves many survivors unable to access specialist services.

Survive says the speed at which referrals returned demonstrates both the scale of hidden sexual trauma in local communities and the lack of other specialist services available to survivors in York and North Yorkshire.

Adult survivors of Child Sexual Abuse are among those most affected. Evidence shows these survivors are far more likely to seek help through self-referral routes rather than through the police or statutory victim support pathways.

CEO of Survive, Ms Mags Godderidge, said:

“Adult survivors of Child Sexual Abuse often live with severe and complex trauma that impacts every aspect of their lives. Many experience debilitating PTSD, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and physical health problems linked to trauma.

“These survivors often do not trust traditional systems or statutory routes because they feel they were failed as children. For many, specialist charities like Survive are the only place that feel safe enough to ask for help.

“The fact our waiting list filled again in just 2 weeks shows the true level of unmet need across York and North Yorkshire. Survivors are reaching out for support in huge numbers — but without sustainable funding, we simply cannot meet the demand.”

Sexual violence and abuse are strongly linked to long-term mental, emotional, and physical health difficulties. Survivors often experience severe psychological distress, symptoms of PTSD, shame, guilt, self-blame, and difficulties maintaining relationships, employment, education, and day-to-day wellbeing.

Survive’s specialist interventions are designed specifically to help survivors process trauma, reduce psychological distress, rebuild confidence, and reclaim their lives.

The charity remains the only specialist sexual violence agency in York and North Yorkshire to achieve conformance with The Survivors Trust UKAS Accredited National Service Standards — an externally verified mark of excellence recognising international best practice in the delivery of specialist sexual violence services.

On Tuesday 12th May, Survive and The University of York will present new research findings demonstrating the measurable impact of the charity’s work, including evidence that specialist trauma support can significantly reduce psychological distress and trauma symptoms and improve survivors’ ability to rebuild their lives.

The conference will bring together leading experts from across the UK to explore the psychological, emotional, and physical impacts of sexual violence, alongside evidence-based approaches to recovery and survivor support.

Survive hopes the findings will strengthen understanding of the scale of need facing survivors and drive long-term strategic investment into specialist sexual violence services.

Mags Godderidge added:

“We already knew our waiting list would not stay open for long because there is simply nowhere else in York or North Yorkshire providing this wide range of specialist support free-of-charge.

“Sexual violence remains significantly underreported, particularly in rural areas, which means the true demand for services is consistently underestimated. Yet survivors continue to come forward in increasing numbers.

“Our work with the University of York now gives us clear evidence that our services work — that specialist trauma-informed support changes and saves lives. The demand is there, the need is urgent, and survivors deserve access to the support they need to heal and move forward.”

Survive warns that without sustained, long-term funding, specialist services across the sector will continue to struggle to meet rapidly increasing demand, leaving vulnerable survivors without access to critical support.