A SEXUAL violence charity say volunteers are the “beating heart” of the support network.

Ali Greene, from Westleigh, is one of 12 helpline volunteers for the sexual violence support network Devon Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Services (DRCSAS)

Entirely female-led, DRCSAS relies heavily on volunteers such as Ali to run their evening crisis helpline. Together the team of volunteers handled 264 calls and 288 email support requests in 2023/24 alone.

Mandy Barnes, DRCSAS partnerships and community manager, said: “Volunteers are the beating heart of our organisation. They deliver our helpline and email support services, contribute to decision making, support our activism and help with campaigning, publicity, and fundraising.

“Volunteers bring the human touch, an individual but also a caring community approach.”

Having joined the crisis support network in 2022, Ali has engaged with hundreds of people via the helpline.

Operating three evenings a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 6-9pm, the helpline doesn’t provide talking therapy, however, volunteers are just there to listen, Ali said.

She said: “Sometimes, whoever's calling, they won't even go close to mentioning what they've experienced. They just want somebody who understands them, validates them and believes them, because so often people aren't believed.

“As a volunteer, you can hear some really graphic stuff, which is obviously very, very hard. But most of the time, we just talk about what they did during that day, what they're going to do tomorrow, what they had for lunch, or what they're watching on telly.

“I look so forward to picking the phone up and just being there for somebody in that moment. For 20 minutes, an hour, however long.”

DRCSAS came about after the 2010 coalition government pledged to increase the availability of support to survivors of rape and sexual violence through the opening of 15 new rape crisis centres over the course of the parliament.

After the closure of the Exeter Rape Crisis helpline due to a lack of funding, the arrival of DRCSAS in 2011 was welcomed as a much-needed service in the region.

While DRCSAS primarily provide counselling services which can only be accessed by people over the border in Devon, they also operate their helpline which is open for anyone above the age of 13 to use.

According to DRCSAS: “In 2023/24, Devon Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Services received its highest-ever referral rate, highlighting the growing demand for support.

“However, it also saw a record number of people waiting for services.”

Despite the success of the service, there remains a funding black hole for sexual violence and trauma support across the country. That is why, Ali says, volunteer work is so essential.

“Without us, it would be a very, very different charity because it's heavily reliant on volunteers. And we're short on volunteers as well, we sometimes have to close the helpline, because people have lives, you know, it's tricky,” she said.

“I’m very proud of the little bit that I do, but my one regret is I didn’t do something like this sooner.”