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Banham and Victim Support

Helping Find the Strength to Make the Marks of Crime Fade Away

Banham has teamed up with the charity Victim Support to make their customers aware that they can get free help and support if they are ever unlucky enough to become a victim of crime.

Unfortunately burglary is one of the most common types of crime Victim Support deals with, with recent figures from the British Crime Survey showing that every minute a house is broken into. People react in different ways to being burgled even if nothing has been stolen. Most people are upset just at the thought that a stranger has been in their home and often people don't feel secure in their home any more.

But help is on hand through the charity’s 6,000 volunteers who help people affected by crime in their communities across England and Wales by giving practical help and emotional support. They are there to help victims, witnesses, their friends and families to find the strength to move on, whether the crime has been reported to the police or not.

This includes being there for someone to talk to, helping with criminal injury compensation claims, giving information about police procedures or organising pre-trial court visits if a case goes to court.

Working with companies such as Banham, Victim Support also gives advice on securing your home if you have been burgled, to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.

But the help and support Victim Support offers, to over 1 million people each year, wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of the charity’s specially trained volunteers. They give a staggering 1 million hours of their time each year which is the equivalent of more than £14 million in salary costs.

This means that the charity can make a real difference to people whose lives have been affected by all types of crime. As Michael the victim of a serious assault and mugging explains: “It is an incredibly inspiring, unique, charitable organisation. For me, after only one session with a Victim Support volunteer where we simply talked to one another, I felt a huge burden lift from my shoulders. With their help I found the strength to go on and make a full recovery.”

Most people like Michael are referred to Victim Support by the police when they report a crime, but anyone can contact the charity directly for help and support no matter when the crime was committed.

If you want to get help and support, or are interested in giving some time or money to the charity then visit Victim Support’s website: www.victimsupport.org.uk