CRCL Wins Queens Award for Voluntary Service

Some of you may have noticed the new addition on our stationery - the "unsung heroes" Crown logo. We were all really pleased and excited to hear in June that Her Majesty The Queen had accepted a recommendation from the Home Secretary that we should receive The Queen's Golden Jubilee Award for voluntary service by groups in the community. We are entitled to use the "unsung heroes" logo for as long as we undertake the support of women and young people who have experienced any form of sexual violence.

The whole process had been extremely exciting: from hearing that Colchester MP Bob Russell had nominated us for the Award 'in recognition of the important and dedicated work we undertake' to learning that the recommendation had been accepted and that we were being visited by the Vice Lord Lieutenant of Essex, George Courtauld, who went on to further support the nomination. We felt really honoured that they should both think our work was important enough to receive this national recognition.  Lord Petre, The Lord Lieutenant of Essex presented the group with a commemorative crystal and a certificate signed by Her Majesty, and three members of Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse attended a reception with the Queen at St James' Palace on 19 July. If any of you can guess how Angie managed to get into a conversation with a Lady in Waiting about the Status Quo fanclub, we'll send you a prize! Guesses on a postcard to the usual address.....

CRCL Wins Website Award

Members of Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse were celebrating today after picking up a prestigious award at the Telephone Helpline Association Award Ceremony at British Telecom Tower in London. The Charity had been nominated in the category of ‘Increasing Access to Callers from Minority, Disabled or Disadvantaged Groups’ for the support forum and ‘letting off steam’ forum, which they have included on their recently posted website.

Two volunteers from the charity attended the event on Friday evening along with all the other short-listed nominees from helplines around the country. They were absolutely delighted to receive the Award especially in the face of such stiff competition.

Group spokesperson Angie Conroy said: "We are incredibly proud of the service we have been able to provide through the forums on our website and this Award acknowledges and recognises that achievement".

The website also contains a mine of information for anyone wanting to know more about the issues surrounding rape and childhood sexual abuse. It has already proved to be incredibly useful to service users, their family and friends and professionals from both the statutory and voluntary sector.