Opinion Piece: Our Domestic Abuse and Rape Crisis Sector is in Danger of Running on Fumes
17 September 2025
Across Birmingham, there are some specialist and highly trained organisations supporting children and adults subjected to domestic abuse, rape and sexual abuse. Yet WAITS (Women Acting in Today’s Society) a domestic abuse charity and RSVP (Rape & Sexual Violence Project) a rape crisis charity, say they are in danger of running on fumes. They are underfunded, at capacity and struggling to close the growing gap between need and capacity.
They are more concerned than ever following the recent UK’s spending review. They had hung onto hope that the Government’s plans to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, would be become clearer. Yet there was no mention made in the review. The silence is alarming. RSVP and WAITS say they cannot continue to support the 7,000+ victims and survivors they see between them each year, on fumes.
Without urgent and sustained support, more specialist domestic and rape crisis services will close their doors — leaving survivors with nowhere to turn.
WAITS and RSVP see this crisis every day. Their specialist teams work relentlessly — but they can’t do the work alone.
They are calling on individuals, businesses, and organisations to take action with them, and explore how partnering with them could:
- Help fulfil the values of your businesses or organisation,
- Assist with your corporate social responsibility
- Provide a way to raise awareness and talk about domestic and sexual abuse, since survivors need more than silence.
How can you help?
✅ Donate: gifts in kind, your time or money.
✅ Partner with them, so they can help you deliver a great CSR day
✅ Make them your charity of the year.
✅ Commission them to deliver training about domestic and sexual abuse, an employer’s duty to prevent sexual harassment, employee wellbeing after abuse, and more.
✅ Fundraise, share, and amplify their message. Find their LinkedIn pages and websites here:
RSVP website: https://rsvporg.co.uk/support-us/support-us/
RSVP LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rsvp-west-midlands
Donate today to RSVP’s Just Giving page here.
WAITS website: https://www.waitsaction.org/make-a-donation
WAITS LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/waits
Donate today to WAIT’s Just Giving page here.
Contact Lisa Thompson (RSVP) and Marcia Lewinson (WAITS) on:
