I Believe You

[skirt]

If ever there was a need for a charity/campaigning groups its now. It's great that we are all tweeting and that folks are getting behind this woman but she's one in thousands. This is happening day in, day out. I'm sick of it.

I'd like to see a proper charity with proper finances and proper media plans etc. Why on earth should my daughters have to put up with all this shit any more?

You search for cancer charities and there are thousands. You search for rape charities and there is Rape Crisis and a few others. I know more women who have been raped than who have cancer but the difference is the rape victims often keep quiet. I'd like to do something long term, practical and proactive. Who else would?

definitely up for it, as another person who was attacked and didnt speak up.

but how do we go about it and what can we do? would mnh back/publicise it?

I dont know. I will ask MNHQ. I feel murderous, don't you?

I am with you skirt.

i am utterly horrified by the comments made about this poor girl :(

and i just wonder wtf posses men to think they can do this?

i have 4 boys and one girl, and even my 12 and 9yr olds understood that its totally wrong and abhorrent and they are just children!

I'm with you.

I'd be up for it too, as a female who was attacked and stayed largely silent and as a future parent that doesn't want her daughters going through this or sons having male role models like ched Evans.

I'm not great at things like this, but give me a task and I will do it. If I have any ideas then I'll contribute. What exactly are you thinking of? A charity that does what? Highlights rape myths and keeps them in the public eye and then get rid of them? Set up a support line, send people out to schools and universities, have HQ that continually badgers MPs over issues like this one?

FWIW, I think any and all of those things would be useful and worthwhile, but I apologise if I'm off the mark.

Harness the outrage at this treatment of a rape victim to do something lasting that will help other victims.

With you all the way and happy to give some time etc

I would like to suggest that before this gets a head of steam that the op has a think about what it is this "charity" would do? Advice, support, campaigning?
I trust it will not want to do the same as Rape crises, as it is already the established provider of such services and any new charity will have many disadvatages to overcome.

Also the OP said it should be well funded, I would suggest you make yourself knowlegable on the laws that govern charity fundraising especialy the restrictions on what a charity can NOT do in terms of being politicle.

Last but not least I would suggest that the present state of funding might lead to some very difficult situations. For example the rape crises centres who may need private backers to help run them, could be hit if another charity seeking to do similer work comes asking for some money. Most people will reduce what they give to one charity in order to give to two. However this creates a short fall for the charity that was getting the full amount.

So think about aims and objectives as well as sustainability.

Hello all, thanks for your words. If you search the charity commission register for the word rape, there are 22 entries (though I know others may be described differently). If you search cancer there are 149 and if you search dog there are 33. I know that's crude but it does show a little about how few services there are who dedicate themselves to thinking about rape and the surrounding service provision.

I'd see a new charity focussing completely on fundraising and campaigning. A bit like Help for Heroes do for the armed forces - they fund things, they don't deliver welfare themselves (though I wouldn't be so arrogant as to assume the same levels of success!)

I'm at work at the mo so will give a bit of thought to this and have asked MNHQ if they would be supportive.