Severe underfunding means that two-thirds of Rape Crisis centres could be forced to cut vital services soon, with 53% saying they expect to have to reduce their counselling services.
Three centres have now been forced to shut their doors completely in the last 12 months, with more than a quarter (27%) of remaining centres fearing they may have to do the same.
Meanwhile, 14,000 survivors of sexual violence remain on our centres' waiting lists, with some facing wait times of over a year until they can access the support and help they need.
Rape Crisis member centre Managers and Directors have also reported that it has become even more difficult to secure unrestricted funding, which is vital for centres to function.
The need for funding is now extremely urgent – Rape Crisis centres simply cannot continue to run without it.
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The Summer 2025 edition of The Rape Crisis Funding Crisis: a Survey of Managers and Directors – 6 monthly report is based on the findings of a survey of managers and directors of Rape Crisis centres across England and Wales.
As well as funding challenges, and grants that have not been increased in line with inflation, the findings show other factors also putting pressure on a situation already close to breaking point, including:
- Rising direct costs
- National Insurance employer contribution increases
- Staff losses and recruitment challenges
- Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) grant reductions
- Uncertainty around the future of the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund
- Specialist sexual violence support services remain underfunded and increasingly lumped in with DA services
This is all despite the government committing to halving violence against women and girls in a decade.
Key findings
➡️ 53% of Rape Crisis centres expect to cut counselling services at a time when our waiting lists are extremely high
➡️ One in four centres now losing staff because of funding uncertainty
➡️ 27% of centres concerned that their entire centre is at risk of closure
“If we don't secure further funding by the end of July, we will have to reduce our counselling service from October.”
Rape Crisis Centre director, North East England
“Our entire counselling budget was cut, with no consultation and very little warning. We fear the same will happen with the remaining funding we get from them for our ISVA posts.”
Rape Crisis Centre director, South East England
Recommendations
Our report makes a number of recommendations to government departments and commissioners, including:
➡️ To the Ministry of Justice: Provide urgently needed stability to our centres by urgently confirming the recommissioning of the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund in 2026 as a centrally administered, multi-year national fund
➡️ To all commissioners: Urgently provide Rape Crisis centres and other specialist sexual violence service providers with emergency funding to compensate for the rise in National Insurance employer contributions
Ciara Bergman, CEO of Rape Crisis England & Wales, says:
"Imagine a world without Rape Crisis, where women and girls who have endured rape and sexual abuse are not heard, believed, or supported.
A world where those pursuing criminal justice have no therapeutic support to help them cope with cross-examination, re-traumatisation, and the jaw-droppingly low chance of securing a conviction or sentence that reflects the harms inflicted upon them.
Imagine having no independent, community-based services, or contact with other women who understand rape and will never blame you or tell you what to do – who know and believe that recovery is possible.
This is the world we’re increasingly having to imagine.
Every year, Rape Crisis centres support enough survivors to fill Wembley Stadium. Our 24/7 Support Line connects another stadium’s worth of calls. And over a million people come to our website, most often wanting to know whether what happened to them ‘counts’.
We think it does.
But a lack of political will or funding commitments means we are on the brink of losing these services. Three Rape Crisis centres have closed in the last year alone. And almost a third of our remaining centres (27%) are at risk of imminent closure, unless the government commit to extending and protecting the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund beyond March 2026, and securing the future of all services supporting women in the aftermath of VAWG.
Survivors deserve better than this, and we know it’s possible. We’re asking everyone to stand up for Rape Crisis and ensure the survival of these vital services."
Notes to editors
Rape Crisis England & Wales (RCEW) is the national charity working to end sexual violence and abuse. We provide specialist information and support to all those affected by rape, child sexual abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment and all other forms of sexual violence and abuse in England and Wales via our 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line.
RCEW is also the national membership and quality assurance organisation for a network of 36 independent Rape Crisis centres. Our specialist member centres provide wrap-around support for victims and survivors, including advocacy, counselling, emotional support and peer support services. We undertake policy and research to support the work of the Rape Crisis network and, ultimately, for victims and survivors.
Survey context
Between May and June of 2024, RCEW surveyed managers and directors of Rape Crisis centres. The short survey consisted of 10 questions. Of the 38 Rape Crisis centres at the time, 89% (34) completed the survey.
To monitor developments across the Rape Crisis membership, RCEW ran this survey again between December 2024 and January 2025 with the same 10 questions, plus an additional question regarding police and crime commissioner (PCC) funding. Of the then 37 member centres, 86% (32) completed the survey.
We ran our funding survey for a third time in June 2025, and this was completed by 83% (30) of the remaining 36 centres. We provided additional space for RCC managers and directors to share key concerns they wanted the report to capture.
Media contact
Maxime Rowson, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Rape Crisis England & Wales
Email: media@rapecrisis.org.uk