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Daily’s appeal saves rape victims’ charity from closure

An appeal by a regional daily has seen a lifeline service for victims of rape and sexual assault saved from closure after £28,000 was raised in just one week.

The Carlisle-based News and Star pledged emergency support to local charity Cumbria Rape Crisis after discovering it would have to close without further funding and has now raised nearly £70,000 for the cause.

The paper asked readers to help it raise £25,000 with a “Who Cares?” appeal fund to stave off imminent closure by three months and it raised more than this in just one week.

Within weeks, the appeal fund has risen to nearly £70,000, saving the Rape Crisis service from collapse so it can continue to support 600 rape victims.

Anne Pickles, the News & Star’s associate editor, said: “This has been an astonishing demonstration of how great things can happen when good people work together.

“To be honest, we were far from certain we’d be able to pull it off. It was a big ask of readers. But when Rape Crisis said they’d have to fold on November 15, leaving 600 rape victims traumatised and without support, it was clear we had to try to buy them some time.”

Donations are still rolling in from readers, businesses and supporters of the emergency campaign.

Editor David Helliwell said: “‘Better to try and fail than not to try at all’ so we launched on October 24, in paper, on the websites and with a relentless Twitter campaign, promising £25,000 for a three-month reprieve.

“Precisely a week later £28,000 had been raised from local councils, individuals, businesses. I even spent a weekend brow-beating the police and crime commissioner, who gave £5,000 – I suspect to get rid of me.

“Thanks to readers who rallied spectacularly, we have been able to more than keep our promise and show without doubt the value to our communities of a local paper still deeply conscience of its true purpose – to work on their behalf.”

Following the Twitter appeal, London-based Garfield Weston Foundation pitched in with £25,000 and other fund-holding organisations are considering contributing to the £150,000 needed to secure the charity’s vital work for a full year.

Carol Swainson, manager of Cumbria Rape Crisis, said: “We wouldn’t be here now without the News & Star team. More than grateful – we’ve been overwhelmed by what has been done.”