Club member Tracey Hardie has been Manager of SARAC (Sexual Abuse and Rape Advisory Centre) at Burton on Trent since August 2012.
The charity offers victims a confidential service, specialist trained workers, a safe environment at Burton Counselling Centre and someone to discuss victims options with practical advice and information.
Tracey talked to club members about the work carried out by the Centre having already handed them a startling fact sheet showing statistics in the UK. This included information that in spite of 190,000 reported complaints of sexual assault in 2011; only 2,807 people were put on trial for rape, of which only 153 were successfully convicted. This means there is only a 2.5% conviction rate, a staggeringly low percentage especially when taking into account the private and family trauma associated with such crimes.
The talk was very thought-provoking with many club members relating some of their own experiences, some of which were being discussed openly for the first time. SARAC has been selected as President Lesley’s elected charity this year and an event to raise funds for this worthy charity will be announced later in the year. President Lesley and club members thanked Tracey for a very enlightening talk.