Registered Charity No
1109637
The Birchall Trust is a registered charity (Charity No: 1109637) and was established in 1991 by a local woman, Christine Birchall to relieve the mental and physical distress of people and their families who are survivors of rape and sexual abuse. We offer counselling and support through our adult and children's services and engage in work towards the understanding of the effect on the victims.
The activities we provide include:
- One to one counselling and art/play therapy sessions.
- Awareness raising talks in the community
- Training & development opportunities for staff, volunteers and management committee.
The effects of rape and sexual abuse are wide-ranging, including physical injury; severe and enduring mental health implications including anxiety, panic attacks, depression, substance/alcohol abuse, eating disorders and suicide; time of work or loss of employment; disruption to studies; and impact on relationships, family and friends.
In general the most pervasive effect of childhood sexual abuse is the destruction of self esteem and the generation of a sense of worthlessness. Their abuse has often been as a result of betrayal by those they trust, love and depend upon, which may include one or both of their parents and the need to help survivors develop appropriate trust is critical.