West Mercia Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre

What West Mercia Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre does

West Mercia Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre (WMRSASC) is a charitable company limited by guarantee, founded in 1986 and registered in England & Wales (Charity Registration 1136677, Company Registration 07083844), headquartered in Worcester with service coverage across Herefordshire, Worcestershire, and increasingly Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin via the Survivor Pathway. The organisation provides free, confidential, trauma-informed specialist support to survivors of sexual violence and abuse aged 5 and over, including adult and children's counselling, pre-trial therapy, SARC-referred counselling, ISVA advocacy, and the Purple Leaf/Purple Pathways early intervention and prevention programme delivered in schools. It also generates earned income through professional training programmes (ISVA Training, SV Practitioner Training, Mix & Match and Bespoke Courses).

Underlying technology is limited to standard nonprofit infrastructure: a WordPress-based website, phone navigation, email, and online self-referral and third-party referral forms. The most notable digital asset is the West Mercia Survivor Pathway, an NHS-funded region-wide online directory platform endorsed by the West Mercia Police & Crime Commissioner. The organisation holds no patents or proprietary technology and reports no AI/ML capabilities.

Revenue is generated through a diversified grant and donation-funded model rather than client fees. Core funding historically came from the Ministry of Justice's Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund (subject to a 47% cut), with additional income from NHS, the West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner, National Lottery, Herefordshire Community Foundation, corporate donors, and individual giving via JustGiving and community fundraising campaigns. Distribution is direct-to-survivor through self-referral, third-party professional referral, phone, and email, with advocacy/ISVA referrals now routed to AXIS Counselling from April. In 2024-2025, WMRSASC received 3,764 new referrals and supported 4,894 clients across all services.

Name

West Mercia Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre

Legal name

West Mercia Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre

Website

https://wmrsasc.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

WMRSASC is a Worcester-based UK charity, founded in 1986, providing free, confidential, trauma-informed counselling, ISVA advocacy, and early intervention services to survivors of sexual violence and abuse aged 5 and over across Herefordshire, Worcestershire, and the wider West Mercia region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Worcester

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations & Fundraising: WMRSASC receives donations from individuals through JustGiving and other fundraising campaigns including the Purple Leaf Project Tree of Hope campaign.
2. Government Funding - Ministry of Justice: Core funding from Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in the form of the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund. The organization has experienced significant funding cuts, including a 47% cut from MoJ.
3. NHS Funding: The Survivor Pathway is funded by NHS. NHS funding supports service delivery.
4. Police and Crime Commissioner Funding: Funding support from Police and Crime Commissioner for West Mercia region.
5. National Lottery and Charitable Trusts: Funding from National Lottery and various charitable trusts including Herefordshire Community Foundation.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

West Mercia Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre (WMRSASC) is a charitable company that delivers specialist trauma-informed counselling, ISVA advocacy, pre-trial therapy, SARC-referred counselling, and early intervention/prevention services for survivors of sexual violence and abuse of any gender aged 5 and over across Herefordshire and Worcestershire. It also runs a portfolio of accredited training programmes for professionals (ISVA, SV Practitioner, Mix & Match and Bespoke courses) and operates The Survivor Pathway, an NHS-funded regional online directory for survivors, families, and professionals.

Product overview

West Mercia Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre (WMRSASC) is a charitable organisation providing specialist support services for survivors of sexual violence and abuse across Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The organisation operates a portfolio of services including: Counselling Services (adult counselling, children and young people's counselling, pre-trial therapy, SARC referred counselling), the Pathfinder programme for adult survivors, Purple Leaf/Purple Pathways early intervention and prevention services for under-18s (including psychosocial education and support for children with sexualised behaviours), and advocacy/ISVA support. Training services include ISVA Training, SV Practitioner Training, and Mix & Match/Bespoke courses for professionals. The Survivor Pathway is a companion online platform providing a directory of specialist services across the West Mercia region. All core services are free, confidential, and trauma-informed, supporting anyone aged 5 and over who has experienced any form of sexual violence or abuse.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Purple Leaf: Early intervention and prevention services for children and young people, working in schools across West Mercia to address issues such as consent, healthy relationships, sexting and grooming.
• Purple Pathways
• West Mercia Survivor Pathway

Products and services

• Counselling Services Specialist trauma-informed counselling support for adult survivors (18+) of sexual violence and abuse, including pre-trial therapy, SARC-referred counselling, and placement counsellor opportunities. Free and confidential, available to any gender.
• Pathfinder Specialist support service for survivors aged 18 or over of any gender experiencing or who have experienced sexual violence or abuse at any time in their lives.
• Children and Young People's Counselling Support Specialist counselling support for children and young people aged 5-18 of any gender who have experienced sexual abuse. Children's safeguarding procedures are followed.
• Early Intervention & Prevention Services (Purple Leaf) Early intervention services for children and young people aged 5-17, including psychosocial education, support for children exhibiting sexualised behaviours, and tackling problematic sexualised behaviour (PSB). Delivered in schools across West Mercia via the Purple Leaf programme.
• ISVA Training Training programme for Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) who provide support to survivors of sexual violence within the criminal justice system.
• SV Practitioner Training Training programme for sexual violence practitioners working with survivors of sexual violence and abuse.
• Mix & Match Courses Flexible training courses allowing professionals to select modules suited to their needs in sexual violence response.
• Bespoke Courses Customised training courses tailored to specific organisational or professional requirements in sexual violence support.
• The Survivor Pathway Region-wide online resource and directory designed to guide survivors, their families, and professionals to support services across West Mercia (Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin). Funded by NHS and endorsed by the West Mercia Police & Crime Commissioner.
• Advocacy / ISVA Support Advocacy and Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) support for survivors during police investigations and criminal justice proceedings. From 1st April, referrals for Advocacy/ISVA support are made directly to AXIS Counselling.
• Purple Pathways: Brighter Futures for Children Early intervention counselling and education project supporting children and families affected by sexual abuse, including the Purple Leaf Project Tree of Hope fundraising initiative.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of clients reported increased feeling of safety
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• West Mercia Police & Crime CommissionercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndorser of the West Mercia Survivor Pathway, a region-wide online resource designed to guide survivors to available support services. The Police and Crime Commissioner provides funding and strategic oversight for victim support services across West Mercia.
• Rape Crisis England & Wales (RCEW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational umbrella organization for rape crisis centers. WMRSASC is a member, accessing national resources, training, and advocacy support.
• The Survivors TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization representing specialist services for survivors of sexual violence. Member organization providing collective advocacy and support.
• Mountain HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare provider partner visible in footer, potentially related to SARC (Sexual Assault Referral Centre) services or medical support for survivors.
• Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA)minorOthersGovernment inquiry into child sexual abuse that ran 2015-2022. WMRSASC has advocated for implementation of IICSA recommendations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Broad incumbents

• Refuge: National charity supporting women and children experiencing domestic abuse. Mission-adjacent peer serving overlapping survivor populations, but specialized in domestic abuse rather than sexual violence; comparable in service structure (helplines, advocacy, refuges).
• Victim Support: National charity providing support to victims of all crime types, including sexual violence. Comparable in mission and victim support services, but broader in scope and not specialized exclusively in sexual violence like WMRSASC.
• Rape Crisis England & Wales: National umbrella organization for Rape Crisis centers across England and Wales. WMRSASC is a member center; RCEW provides collective advocacy, training, and national resources, making it a strategic peer and trade body rather than a direct competitor.
• The Survivors Trust: National membership organization representing specialist sexual violence and abuse support services. WMRSASC is a member; The Survivors Trust provides accreditation, collective advocacy, and national infrastructure to member charities, making it a sister organization in the same service category.
• Women's Aid: National federation supporting domestic abuse services across the UK. Mission-adjacent charity working with overlapping survivor populations, comparable in funding model and member network structure, though focused on domestic abuse rather than sexual violence.

Others

• Mountain Healthcare: Healthcare provider partner operating Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs). Strategic partner of WMRSASC for medical/forensic support pathways; adjacent ecosystem player rather than direct competitor.

Direct peers

• AXIS Counselling: Provider of counselling and advocacy/ISVA services in a similar regional footprint, taking over Advocacy/ISVA referrals that previously went through WMRSASC. Direct peer in specialist sexual violence support, comparable in service mix (counselling, advocacy) and target population.
• Manchester Rape Crisis (MOSAC): Manchester-based specialist sexual violence charity offering counselling, advocacy, and helpline services. Directly comparable UK regional peer with similar mission, services, and reliance on MoJ/NHS funding streams.
• London Rape Crisis Centre: London-based Rape Crisis center providing specialist counselling, advocacy, and group support for female survivors of sexual violence. Comparable UK specialist sexual violence charity with similar services and funding model.
• Somerset & Avon Rape & Sexual Abuse Support (SARSAS): Regional Rape Crisis center serving Somerset and Avon with counselling, ISVA, and helpline services for sexual violence survivors. Closely comparable as a UK regional specialist sexual violence charity with similar service mix, funding model, and client population.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wmrsasc
• Facebooken-gb.facebook.com/wmrsasc
• Instagraminstagram.com/wmrsasc

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 West Mercia Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre