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