the birchall trust
The charity originally called South Cumbria Rape and Abuse Service (SCRAS), was
established by Christine Birchall in 1991 as a community response to the lack of
support for rape and sexual abuse victims in the local area. It originally
operated as an entirely volunteer based organisation supported by community
fundraising. The organisation has successfully developed into an established
service provider, whilst still retaining its original ethos and local identity.
All of our staff are qualified to the relevant level and counsellors are
registered with BACP/BAPT – if required clients can request to view training
certificates or accreditation awards to verify competency. We are a registered
charity (number: 1109637), and a company limited by guarantee (number: 5424196)
●We provide face to face and remote trauma informed counselling services ● We
deliver play therapy, creative and sand tray therapy for children aged 4 and
above ●We offer pre-trial therapy sessions to adults and children whilst
involved in the criminal justice process ●We work with parents, carers,
families, and friends of people affected by rape, sexual abuse, or sexualised
violence ●We hold groups, peer support sessions and offer outdoor therapies ●We
deliver educational programmes, training, and consultancy to other agencies –
voluntary and statutory ●We have online digital information and resources ●We
raise awareness of the wider issues around rape, sexual abuse, or sexualised
violence within our community
