Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week 2026
Sexual abuse and sexual violence cause profound harm, and too often that harm is carried alone. As Police and Crime Commissioner, one of my core priorities is preventing abuse and ensuring that survivors have the specialist support they need to cope and recover. This Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week 2026, I want to tell you about some of the remarkable organisations in Avon and Somerset who are there for survivors every day.
One of those organisations is The Green House, a survivor led charity providing specialist therapy for children, young people and families who have experienced sexual abuse. Their work is grounded in compassion that creates space for young people to begin rebuilding trust in themselves and in the world around them. Over the past year, I have been proud to fund their innovative nature based creative therapy, which is proving to be a powerful part of their work.
They run 12week group programmes where young people can step out of clinical settings and into the natural world. Sitting around a fire with hot chocolate, being encouraged to notice the rhythms of growth, retreat and renewal in the landscape around them, they start to find new ways to understand and talk about their own experiences.
This work is rooted in the well-established three stage model of trauma recovery: safety and stabilisation, processing, and reintegrating with the world. But what makes it extraordinary is how it allows children to engage with these stages in a setting that feels safe, gentle and free of judgement.
In March 2025, the charity expanded this offer to include one-to-one nature based therapy, opening up the same benefits to young people who prefer individual support. Feedback from those taking part speaks volumes. One child told therapists: “It is so much easier to talk about difficult things when surrounded by nature.” Another said: “There is no stigma. We are just two people together in nature rather than being in a building that reminds me I have been sexually abused.”
Parents also feel the difference. One shared: “How wonderful everyone is – from the moment you get in the door, it is such a pleasant place to be in such unpleasant circumstances. Everyone who opens the door or offers you a cup of tea, that feels like the start of your session. Everyone is so important, you all have such a nurturing way about you. I feel genuine support from everyone.”
The courage of survivors, and the dedication of services like The Green House, give me hope. There is always more to do, but I will continue do all I can both locally and nationally to ensure every survivor receives the support they need. And I remain deeply grateful to those who give their expertise and their hearts to help young people recover, reconnect and rebuild.