Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support

What Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support does

Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (SARSAS) is a UK registered charity (Charity No. 1126682; Company Reg No. 6738639) founded in 2008 and headquartered in Bristol, with a secondary office in Taunton. It provides trauma-informed specialist support to people of all genders aged 13+ who have experienced rape, sexual assault, sexual abuse, sibling sexual abuse, or any form of sexual violence, across Bath & NE Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset, Somerset, and South Gloucestershire. Core services comprise a telephone helpline, live chat, 24/7 email support, and in-person specialist 1-1 support (up to 6 months/12 sessions); in the most recent reported year the charity supported 914 people in-person and delivered 937 hours of helpline support.

The underlying service platform combines clinical specialist practice with a portfolio of free digital resources — the Trauma and Self-Care online course, the Pause Play Stop consent tool for students aged 13+, the Sibling Sexual Abuse support website, and the Learning Disabilities and Autism Toolkit — alongside specialist support adapted for autistic people and people with learning disabilities. The technology backbone is conventional web and Microsoft Teams delivery, with no disclosed AI/ML components; differentiation rests on domain-specialist content and trauma-informed methodology rather than proprietary technology.

SARSAS operates a hybrid non-profit revenue model. Mission-critical survivor support is delivered free of charge, funded by individual donations, community fundraising events (marathons, Kilimanjaro climbs, skydives, 3 Peaks Challenge), corporate partnerships (Charity of the Year programmes, payroll giving, sponsorship of therapy rooms), and grants from bodies such as the Three Guineas Trust, Somerset Community Foundation, and the SVSCSA Fund 2022/25. A commercial training arm sells specialist sexual-violence workshops to organisations and professionals — ranging from £40 per person for open online sessions to £1,512 for full-day Sexual Harassment Support Officer (SHSO) training aligned with the Worker Protection Act 2023 and Employment Rights Act 2025 — providing a modest but strategically important earned-income stream.

Name

Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support

Legal name

Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support

Website

https://sarsas.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Bristol, SARSAS is a UK registered charity providing free, trauma-informed specialist support to survivors of sexual violence across the South West of England, funded through donations, grants, corporate partnerships, and a commercial training arm aligned with new UK workplace and education regulations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sexual Violence Support Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Protection, Child Protection & Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Response (BPAGAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

Keywords

• Sexual violence support
• Survivor support services
• Trauma-informed counselling
• Sexual harassment training
• Nonprofit charitable services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Individual Giving: Individual donations from supporters, including birthday donations, regular giving, and direct financial contributions. A 10% donor discount is offered on all training workshops as an incentive.
2. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorship: Charity of the Year partnerships, sponsorship of group therapy sessions or counselling rooms, payroll giving schemes for employees, and strategic CSR partnerships with companies aligned to SARSAS's mission. Also includes pro bono services from corporate partners.
3. Community Fundraising Events: Individual supporters raise funds through challenge events (marathons, skydives, Kilimanjaro climbs, film nights, art auctions, 3 Peaks Challenge), online shopping via Give as You Live, The Giving Machine, Easy Fundraising, and PayPal Giving Fund.
4. Professional Training Services: Revenue-generating specialist sexual violence training sold to organisations and professionals. Includes open online groups via Eventbrite, private in-person/online group sessions, bespoke training, licensing options, and masterclasses. Training topics cover Understanding Sexual Violence, NFS, Sexual Harassment, Healthy Relationships, Active Bystander, Domestic Abuse, and more.
5. Grant Funding: Funded by charitable trusts including Three Guineas Trust and Somerset Community Foundation for the Learning Disabilities and Autism Toolkit, and Support for Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse Fund for UpFront Survivors project.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

SARSAS provides free, trauma-informed specialist support services for survivors of rape, sexual assault, and sexual abuse through a national helpline, live chat, 24/7 email support, and in-person specialist support in Bristol and Taunton. It also sells paid specialist sexual violence training to organisations and professionals to help them comply with UK employment, education, and safeguarding regulations.

Product overview

SARSAS offers a coordinated portfolio of survivor support services centered around its core helpline, live chat, and email support channels, supplemented by specialist in-person support services. The organization provides targeted specialist services for autistic people and people with learning disabilities, alongside professional training programs covering various aspects of sexual violence awareness and prevention. Digital resources include a free trauma and self-care online course, the PAUSE PLAY STOP online consent tool for young people, and a dedicated sibling sexual abuse support website. The Learning Disabilities and Autism Toolkit provides resources for professionals supporting disabled survivors. All services are trauma-informed and grounded in compassion, supporting people of all genders who have experienced rape, sexual assault, sexual abuse, or any form of sexual violence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sibling Sexual Abuse Support: A dedicated website supporting adult victim-survivors of sibling sexual abuse with a supportive community space, educational resources, therapeutic tools, self-care tips, and victim-survivor stories.
• Pause Play Stop
• Trauma and Self-Care Online Course
• UpFront Survivors
• We Hear You

Products and services

• Helpline Services Telephone helpline (0808 801 0456) operating specific hours (Monday 11am-2pm, Tuesday 6pm-8pm, Thursday 6pm-8pm, Friday 11am-2pm) providing emotional support and signposting to people who have experienced sexual violence. Free to all survivors.
• Live Chat Support Real-time text-based support accessible through the SARSAS website during opening hours, offering immediate assistance to survivors of sexual violence.
• E-Support (Email Support) Confidential email support service available 24/7 with responses typically within one working day, for survivors of sexual violence and their friends and family. Free to users.
• In-Person Specialist Support One-to-one specialist support work providing emotional and practical assistance, available face-to-face in Bristol and Taunton, with telephone or online options in other areas. Up to 6 months (typically 12 sessions) of support. Free to survivors.
• Learning Disability and Autism Support Service Specialist service for autistic people and people with learning disabilities aged 18+ who have experienced sexual violence. Includes 1-1 support work, practical and emotional support, workshops around sexual consent, easy-read resources, and communication passport support. Available in Bristol and Taunton, by telephone, or online.
• Training Services Expert-led specialist sexual violence training sold to organisations and professionals. Topics include Sexual Harassment at Work, Responding to Disclosures, Healthy Relationships & Consent, Non-Fatal Strangulation, Understanding Sexual Violence, Domestic Abuse & Sexual Violence, Active Bystander, Spiking, Vicarious Trauma, Stalking, Professional Boundaries, and Online & Tech-Facilitated Sexual Abuse. Helps organisations comply with Employment Rights Act (2025), Worker Protection Act (2023), FCA rules, and RSE/Health Education (2026) statutory guidance.
• Pause Play Stop Online Consent Tool Free, easy-to-use online tool designed to help students aged 13+ feel more confident and in control when it comes to sex and consent.
• Trauma and Self-Care Online Course Free online course providing information on the impact of trauma and techniques and creative tools to help cope with trauma impacts, available to anyone.
• Sibling Sexual Abuse Support Website Dedicated website supporting adult victim-survivors of sibling sexual abuse with a community space, educational resources, therapeutic tools, self-care tips, and survivor stories.
• Learning Disabilities and Autism Toolkit Professional toolkit with easy-read resources covering consent, trauma responses, healthy relationships, making services accessible, and supporting autistic people and people with learning disabilities who have experienced sexual violence. Funded by Three Guineas Trust and Somerset Community Foundation.
• Self-Help Guides Printable and downloadable self-help guides including information on trauma, feelings, emotions, and ways of coping. Available in standard and easy-read formats. Free to users.
• Cover Your Tracks Guidance Guidance helping users remove evidence of visiting the SARSAS website, with instructions for various browsers (Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer, Android, iPhone) and advice on ensuring privacy when using email support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 914 people supported in-person; 937 hours of support provided via helpline services in the last year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Big Picture (Charity Films)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Big Picture selected SARSAS as one of ten charities in their 2025 Free Film Giveaway. Big Picture created the 'We Hear You' short film showcasing SARSAS's work, featuring patron Laura Bates and survivors Sarah and Susannah. This partnership amplified SARSAS's reach and awareness through high-quality multimedia content.
• Viv Gordon CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Co-developer and co-producer of the UpFront Survivors project — a series of co-created cultural spaces for the CSA survivor community. Viv Gordon Company developed and delivered the pop-up cultural space in Bristol (March 2023) featuring creative workshops, exhibitions, comedy, and poetry. Funded through the SVSCSA Fund 2022/25.
• The GreenhouseminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partner in the UpFront Survivors project developing and delivering co-created cultural spaces for the CSA survivor community, alongside Viv Gordon Company, Coventry University, and SARSAS. Funded through SVSCSA Fund 2022/25.
• Coventry UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Academic partner in the UpFront Survivors project. Part of the consortium developing and delivering co-created cultural spaces for the CSA survivor community alongside Viv Gordon Company, The Greenhouse, and SARSAS. Funded through SVSCSA Fund 2022/25.
• The People's Republic of Stokes CroftminorOthersCommunity venue host for the UpFront Survivors Pop-Up Cultural Space in Bristol (17-25 Jamaica Street, BS2 8JP). Provides the physical space for survivor-led cultural events including workshops, exhibitions, and performances.
• Simmons and SimmonsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw firm that supported employee Lara Brand's Mt. Kilimanjaro fundraising climb for SARSAS and made a generous donation to her campaign. Represents an employer supporting staff who fundraise for the charity.
• The Office of the Avon and Somerset Police and Crime CommissionerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded the non-fatal strangulation awareness campaign run by SARSAS, which includes the 'there is no safe way' initiative providing information and resources on the risks of strangulation and available support.
• Toucan ProductionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction company credited in the We Hear You short film project. Contact [email protected] for subject names, indicating involvement in the documentary/storytelling content creation.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SARSAS_uk
• Facebookfacebook.com/SARSAS.helpline
• Instagraminstagram.com/sarsasupport
• TikToktiktok.com/@sarsas_support
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sarsas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support