SARC

What SARC does

SARAC (Sexual Abuse Rape Advice Centre) is a registered UK charity (Charity Number 1180902), regulated by the Charity Commission for England and Wales, that provides free, confidential counselling and emotional support to survivors of sexual abuse and rape aged 11 and over. Founded in 1994 in Burton Upon Trent by a group of local women responding to a gap in services, the charity operates from a single anonymous headquarters at 19-20 Borough Road with four dedicated counselling rooms, refurbished in 2017, and delivers services across East Staffordshire and South Derbyshire, including Burton upon Trent, Lichfield, Tamworth, Uttoxeter, and Swadlincote. SARAC supports approximately 120 people per week, around 300 clients per year, and nearly 700 victims in the most recent reported year, with more than 2,500 volunteer hours contributed annually. Reported outcomes include 97 of 111 clients reporting improved overall health and wellbeing and 79 of 88 reporting better daily coping.

Core service lines are a confidential telephone helpline, one-to-one counselling (minimum 12 sessions), specialised male support, a Trauma Card tool for triggering situations, community outreach in schools and youth clubs, young persons education (11-18), and professionals support. The product set is delivered by qualified trauma counsellors and accredited volunteers rather than any technology platform; the firmographic record explicitly states SARAC is not a technology company.

The revenue model is a hybrid of charitable donations and fundraising (including the Pearl Ball gala), fee-based corporate training (Tier 1 at £1,000, Tier 2 at £2,500, add-on modules at £500), corporate partnerships (including 'Change a Life' per-session sponsorship), and restricted grants from government and lottery funders, most notably a £182,229 National Lottery Reaching Communities grant in 2023 for the 'Your Body Your Choice' South Asian community project. Referrals are accepted via self-referral, professional referral, and third-party referral, with a response within five working days.

Name

SARC

Legal name

SARAC (Sexual Abuse Rape Advice Centre)

Website

https://sarac.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SARAC is a Burton Upon Trent-based registered charity that provides free, confidential counselling and emotional support to survivors of sexual abuse and rape aged 11+ across East Staffordshire and South Derbyshire, funded by donations, grants, and corporate training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Support Services

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

Keywords

• Sexual violence support
• Counselling services
• Trauma-informed care
• Victim support charity
• Corporate awareness training

Headquarters

HQ city

Burton Upon Trent

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable donations from individuals, community groups, and workplace fundraising. Includes one-off and recurring donations via PayPal. Also receives donations through events like the Pearl Ball.
2. Corporate Training: Paid corporate training packages for businesses on sexual harassment prevention and trauma-informed support. Tier 1 training at £1,000, Tier 2 at £2,500, with additional modules at £500 each.
3. Government and Lottery Grants: Funding from government bodies and lottery grants including National Lottery Reaching Communities (£182,229) and Ministry of Justice funding.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Ongoing financial support from corporate partners who sponsor the organization, with 'Change a Life' packages where businesses fully fund individual support sessions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SARC delivers free, confidential counselling and emotional support services to survivors of sexual abuse and rape aged 11 and over across East Staffordshire and South Derbyshire. Core services include a confidential helpline, one-to-one counselling (minimum 12 sessions), specialised male support, young persons services, community outreach, and school-based education. The charity also sells paid corporate training packages on sexual harassment prevention and trauma-informed workplace support.

Product overview

SARC offers a suite of interconnected support services for sexual abuse and rape survivors. The core offering consists of a 24-hour confidential helpline, one-to-one counselling and emotional support, and specialised support for males and young persons. Additional services include a Trauma Card tool for sharing difficulties in triggering situations, community-based support in schools and venues, professional training for workplaces, and education awareness sessions for young people. The organisation also runs a volunteer programme with accredited training. Services are free of charge and available to anyone over 11 years old in Burton, Lichfield, Tamworth, Uttoxeter, Swadlincote and South Derbyshire.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Helpline Services Confidential telephone helpline providing emotional support, guidance, and a single point of access for victims/survivors of sexual violence. Available via 01283 517185.
• Counselling & Emotional Support One-to-one emotional support and counselling sessions for individuals aged 11+ who have experienced sexual abuse or rape, facilitated by qualified trauma supporters. A minimum of 12 sessions is offered.
• Specialised Male Support Dedicated support services for males affected by sexual abuse or rape, including safe anonymous sharing environments, myths and facts resources, artwork and poetry galleries, and testimonials.
• Community Support Medium- to long-term one-to-one support available in schools and community venues throughout East Staffordshire and South Derbyshire.
• Corporate Training Paid workplace training packages (Tier 1 at £1,000 and Tier 2 at £2,500) for local businesses on sexual harassment prevention, including policy assessment, workplace ambassadors training, and add-on modules (£500 each) on LGBTQ+ awareness, neurodiversity, and discrimination.
• Young Persons Education Education awareness sessions delivered in schools and colleges covering sexual violence, healthy relationships, and support availability for young people aged 11-18.
• Young Persons Service (11-18) Emotional support services delivered in schools, youth clubs, and education settings for young people aged 11-18 affected by sexual abuse, including one-to-one support and ambassador programmes.
• Professionals Support Support services for professionals including debriefing after assisting survivors, consultations for support workers, professional training, and education awareness sessions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97 out of 111 clients reported improved overall health and wellbeing
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Staffordshire Women's AidcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 March 2026Three leading specialist charities came together to deliver the first-ever Tri-Wellbeing Day, a full-day conference dedicated to supporting the wellbeing, resilience, and professional strength of their teams. The partnership strengthens collaborative bonds and builds a more cohesive network of support for survivors across Staffordshire.
• Pathway ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 March 2026Joint delivery of Tri-Wellbeing Day conference with Staffordshire Women's Aid and SARAC. Partnership aims to champion frontline workforce wellbeing across domestic abuse and sexual violence services.
• Wincanton (Screwfix)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerOngoing training partnership focused on raising awareness around sexual abuse and rape, equipping team members with essential tools to support individuals in need.
• BBCminorOthersSupported by BBC as shown in partner logos on website.
• Serrano MediaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDesign and marketing sponsor for the Pearl Ball event. Walked alongside SARAC throughout the planning process for their first major fundraising gala.
• Burton and South Derbyshire College (BSDC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal college partnership where students have fundraised for SARAC and the charity provides education sessions.
• South Staffordshire CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation partner where SARAC conducts awareness sessions and students support the charity.
• University of StaffordshireminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner shown in SARAC's partner logos, indicating collaborative relationship.
• Burton & District Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for the Pearl Ball event, with Richard Brooks speaking at the event.
• YMCAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable partner shown in SARAC's partner logos.
• PlastributionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBurton-based company that selected SARAC as their chosen charity to fundraise for, organizing football fundraising events.
• MacMartinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal marketing agency that became SARAC's first Corporate Donor, embarking on a staff challenge to raise funds.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Refuge: Largest UK charity specialist in gender-based violence, providing refuges, community outreach, and recovery programmes. Highly comparable on survivor support model, though focused on domestic abuse and operates refuges SARAC does not.
• SurvivorsUK: National specialist charity supporting male survivors of sexual abuse and rape. Direct overlap with SARAC's specialised male support service line, including myth-busting resources, anonymous support, and trauma recovery tools.
• Rape Crisis England & Wales: National umbrella network of specialist sexual violence and rape support centres across England and Wales. Directly comparable as a provider of free, confidential counselling, helpline, and advocacy services to sexual violence survivors, operating the national Rape Crisis National Helpline.
• Women's Aid: Federated national charity coordinating local services for women and children experiencing domestic abuse. SARAC has a direct partnership with Staffordshire Women's Aid via the Tri-Wellbeing Day, reflecting overlapping survivor populations and service models.
• The Survivors Trust: Umbrella body for specialist sexual violence and abuse support services across the UK and Ireland. SARAC explicitly directs out-of-area clients to The Survivors Trust, indicating they share the same survivor population and referral network.
• Pathway Project: Staffordshire-based specialist charity supporting survivors of rape, sexual abuse, and domestic violence. Direct peer serving an overlapping regional population and a current Tri-Wellbeing Day collaboration partner with SARAC.

Broad incumbents

• Mind: UK mental health charity providing counselling, peer support, and information services. SARAC's counselling-focused delivery model for trauma overlaps with Mind's community-based mental health support, though Mind covers far broader conditions.
• NSPCC: Major UK child protection charity running helplines, counselling, and prevention programmes. Comparable on the youth safeguarding/sexual abuse segment SARAC serves via its Young Persons Service for 11–18 year olds, though far larger and more diversified.
• Samaritans: UK-wide emotional support helpline charity. Comparable in operating a confidential telephone support model with a volunteer-heavy workforce, but operates a much broader, non-specialist remit than SARAC.
• Victim Support: National charity providing free, confidential support to victims of all crime types, including sexual violence. Broader scope than SARAC but overlapping service model (helpline, counselling, advocacy) and shared statutory funding ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/saracburton
• Facebookfacebook.com/Sarac.Org.Uk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saracuk
• Instagraminstagram.com/sarac_uk

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 SARC