CARA was formerly Colchester Rape Crisis Line (CRCL) and continues the work that began when CRCL became a  registered charity in 1989.  As an organisational member of BACP we are bound by its Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy and subject to the professional conduct procedure therein.

We are also members of a number of other networks and bodies, including:

	Rape Crisis England & Wales
	Domestic abuse forums covering mid and north east Essex
	Telephone Helplines Association
	Survivors Trust

Mission Statement

CARA believes that sexual violence is completely unacceptable.  We support those who have been affected and raise awareness in the wider community of the consequences of sexual abuse, assault and rape.

The history of our Services
The organisation has always relied on its volunteers – for much of its history there were no full-time paid staff.  CRCL oriiginally worked from one room and begged meeting and training rooms from other organisations, often meaning that venues were not confirmed until the last minute.  We operated with an annual income of around £5000.  At the end of 2000, the part-time co-ordinator managed to find and secure the premises that we have occupied since 2001.

The first full-time member of staff was employed in January 2002.  We have since been able to secure fixed term funding for two more paid positions, one part-time Child & Family Practitioner, and one full-time Young Person's Practitioner.

In June 2008 CRCL became CARA



CARA currently consists of a team of dedicated counsellors and advocates, overseen by the Manager, Child & Family Practitioner and Young Persons' Practitioner.

As a registered charity and a charitable company limited by guarantee, CARA is overseen by a board of trustees, responsible for overall management and governance.

CARA has gained increased respect with other organisations in the area, both statutory and voluntary, who acknowledge our wealth of experience in the areas of childhood sexual abuse, self-harm, sexual violence, and mental health. 

We now offer training in these areas of expertise to other professionals.

The CARA website went on-line in June 2008 replacing the the Colchester Rape Crisis Line website which had been running since 2002. CARA provides a resource for anyone requiring help, advice or information on issues relating to sexual violence.  The site provides two forums for service users to encourage them to offer help and support to each other. In 2002 the website won an award from the Telephone Helplines Association for ‘Increasing access to callers from Minority, Disabled and Disadvantaged groups’.

Unfortunately, as the demand for our services continues to grown we have outgrown our current premises and are currently searching for a suitable alternative.  We also hope to expand our staff numbers to help us cope with the numbers of people coming forward for support

CARA (CRCL) was awarded the ‘Queens Golden Jubilee Award for voluntary service by groups in the community’.  We feel extremely honoured to see the work of our organisation being recognized in this way.

CARA (CRCL) won a Guardian Charity Award in 2007. To read more and watch a video presentation click Guardian Charity Award

Our Services Include

	One-to-one counselling
	Advocacy
	Outreach support
	Information about pregnancy tests, contraception and sexual health generally
	Support in giving a statement if you choose to report what has happened to the police
	Support through legal and medical processes
	Information about your rights
	Welfare rights and housing advice
	Details of other agencies that may be able to help you

Raising Awareness
The Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse is committed to raising public awareness of issues surrounding sexual violence.

Our Counsellors are trained to help you deal with:

Rape

	Childhood Sexual Abuse
	Ritual Abuse
	Flashbacks
	Self-harm
	Eating Disorders
	Drug and Alcohol Abuse