Our Future

Victim Support is a truly remarkable organisation. Like so many charities, it was created by a group of people who wanted society to change. They felt that victims and witnesses had been neglected for too long and that something needed to be done about it. Instead of waiting for someone else to act, they set up the very first Victim Support scheme. Now, over 30 years later, it has grown into the organisation we have today. Over 10,000 volunteers and around 1,000 staff in 89 charities across England and Wales deliver help and support to 1.7 million people every year. That is a huge achievement. We are admired and respected around the world and have inspired others to set up similar organisations in their own country. And it is clear that the passion to help, and to put things right, that motivated our founders is still alive and well.

But times change and we must continue to do so too. Both our clients and our funders want more and deserve more. It’s only right that they hold us to account fully for the money they give us and that we should provide consistent services. Yet at the moment that’s a very difficult, if not impossible, thing for us to do as a federation. We can and must come together as one charity if we are to take this opportunity. It will mean that we will offer a consistent service to victims and witnesses while still being able to provide the individual service people need.

For the first time, from all aspects of our community, it will give victims and witnesses a national voice. It is vital that while we become a national body we remain focused on our local community’s and their needs.

During 2008, Victim Support charities across the country will begin to merge into one national organisation. At the current time, Victim Support & Witness Service Greater Manchester is working to transfer into the national charity at the end of this financial year. This is a massive undertaking, one that must be achieved without disruption to the service our clients depend on. We are working hard to ensure that everyone with an interest in the charity is informed about the changes, and our progress towards becoming one organisation. We feel it is important to reassure our supporters that all funds donated to benefit victims and witnesses in Greater Manchester will be spent as the donor intended, and this will continue to be the case in the future.

If there are any questions you would like to ask, please contact Lesley Daniels, Area Manager on 0161 727 0248.