In the past year Embrace Child Victims of Crime has supported record numbers of children
and families – more than in any other year in its 30 year history.

From April 2022 to April 2023 they supported 5,435 children, young people and families to
recover from the devastating trauma caused by crime.

This is an increase of 1,697 children young people and their families – 45 per cent more than
the previous year. They have also provided 6,237 services to those families – an increase of
almost 50 per cent on the previous year.

Chief Executive of Embrace Child Victims of Crime Anne Campbell said:

“Despite the very difficult financial climate, which has left many charities fighting for survival or sadly closing,
and despite receiving no direct funding from the Government, Embrace has continued to
thrive and grow and we are helping more families than ever before.

“This year we have provided more emotional support, parental support, advice and
counselling and more cost of living support including clothing and food vouchers, school
uniform, mobile phones and tablet devices than in any previous year. We know many
families we support are living on the breadline. Before we can help families heal the trauma
they are experiencing in more and more cases we need to help them meet their most basic
needs of making sure they can provide food for their families, clothes and keep a roof over
their heads.

“We know what we provide is merely a drop in the ocean compared to the huge demand
out there. Every day we speak to families who’ve often been struggling for months to get
the help they so desperately need. When they speak to us they are so grateful that we are
there to listen and to provide the support to meet their individual needs.”

In the past year alone Embrace have provided 2,218 packages of practical support to families
which includes food and clothing vouchers, mobile phones and tablet devices to access our
services, books and toys.

Almost four out of 10 young people we have supported in the past year have been affected
by domestic abuse and two out of 10 were affected by sexual abuse or sexual assault. We
have also supported families affected by homicide, harassment, assault, neglect and abuse,
and child sexual exploitation and cyber crime.

Image credit: Embrace Child Victims of Crime