Cheshire and Merseyside’s Rape and Sexual Assault Support Centre (RASASC) was handed the money by Cheshire Police as part of a week-long Christmas initiative.
The initiative was led by chief constable Mark Roberts.
It was day four of the Cheshire Police’s ‘in the community’ charity project.
This project sees CC Roberts donate a share of £50,000 to six Cheshire charities and organisations that put the people of Cheshire first.
The initiative aims to support organisations that prioritise the well-being of Cheshire residents.
A cheque for £10,000 was presented to Julie Evans, director of operations at RASASC, by CC Roberts.
Julie and Helen (Image: Supplied) CC Roberts said: “Being a victim of any kind of crime can be frightening and upsetting, but rape and sexual assault are distressingly personal acts that can have long-lasting effects on victims and their wider families and can require specialised support to process the incident and to work through it to recovery.
“We treat all reports of sexual abuse extremely seriously, and any report is thoroughly investigated, with the wishes and needs of the victim being our main priority.
“To that end, I have always been an advocate for the work RASASC conducts in supporting victims and their families in the face of horrendous circumstances as it is absolutely critical and exemplifies what reassurance and guidance we collectively want to offer as a force.
“I am delighted to present the team at Cheshire and Merseyside RASASC with this cheque for £10k on behalf of Cheshire Police, that I know will be put to good use in the coming year.”
RASASC has offices in Chester, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Halton, Northwich, Macclesfield, and Warrington.
It also offers outreach support in different locations across Cheshire and Merseyside.
The group provides free community-based support to people affected by sexual violence and works in partnership with local authorities, including Cheshire Police and NHS England.
Julie added: “We are delighted to receive this kind donation, and we will use the funds to provide additional counselling support for the women, men, and children who access our service.
“RASASC is a Cheshire-based charity that provides an information line, counselling and independent sexual violence advisors across all parts of Cheshire.
“The service is free of charge and works with men, women, and children who have been affected by rape and or sexual assault.
“It doesn’t matter whether it happened recently or in the past, we are here to help.”
RASASC can be contacted on 0330 363 0063 or via its website.