A former regional journalist has launched a new project to help survivors of sexual abuse to tell their stories.

Lizzy Dening, who worked as a features writer at the Cambridge News between 2010 and 2012, has set up Survivor Stories, a website showcasing a series of interviews with survivors of sexual abuse, rape and assault.

The platform was set up as a direct response to what Lizzy saw as a lack of safe spaces for survivors to share their experiences and draw hope and inspiration from the stories of other survivors.

Lizzy, pictured, now freelances and is also vice chair at Peterborough Rape Crisis Care Group.

She told the Peterborough Telegraph: “Survivor Stories is designed to help survivors feel less alone. Telling their stories in their own words can be a cathartic and empowering act.

“It’s also a resource to help shut down victim blaming – even at this early stage, the survivors on the site have wildly different lives and experiences.

“My work with survivors at Peterborough Rape Crisis Care Group has taught me that many look online for similar stories, and if they don’t find anyone with the same background, or a particular trigger, they feel even more isolated.

“Survivor Stories will become an archive spanning all ages, races, genders and experiences – a shared community of strong people dealing with trauma in very different ways.”