Trust House Reading

As you will all be aware, the coronavirus situation is changing daily. Our priority is the wellbeing of clients, staff and the community.

In light of this, we have carefully considered how we can continue our services with the least disruption. The realistic way forward is to move our services online. This would mean that counselling  and other work would continue uninterrupted as much as possible. The only service that is going to be affected by this would be our children’s play therapy services, where it is not possible to provide therapy online.

We are taking referrals  as usual: We will monitor the situation closely and provide further updates as we receive new information. Our Helpline number is 0118 958 4033 which continues to be covered by volunteers. We will return the service to full capacity when we are clear that risk to our clients, staff and the community with face to face contact is minimised.

Please everyone stay safe and well.

Trust House Reading Team

It is Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week from Monday 5th February  to Sunday 11th February this year and as such Trust House will be having a stall in Broad Street Mall, Reading on Thursday 8th February from 10.30am to 4.00pm. Please come along to show your support, to have a chat or to see our beautiful new elephant badges!

Trust House supports the #IT‘SNOTOK campaign which aims to raise awareness and understanding about issues surrounding rape, sexual violence and childhood sexual abuse as well as promote discussion and help educate communities and individuals on how sexual violence can be prevented. You can join the conversation on social media using #itsnotok or follow the campaign @itsnotok2018.

To read more about this national campaign please go to: www.sexualabuseandsexualviolenceawarenessweek.org

We are recruiting again for more helpline volunteers to allow us to extend our opening hours and be able to offer support when callers need us. We’re looking for volunteers to give just a few hours a week on our confidential helpline.
You’ll be offering telephone and email support, signposting and referring callers to our other services. No previous helpline experience is needed. Full training, ongoing support and regular supervision will be given. We need people who are caring, good communicators and who are organised as there will be some admin duties linked to the role.
Ideally we ask our volunteers to commit for a minimum of one year and they must be aged 18 or over.
If you’re interested in the role then we’d love to hear from you. Please email [email protected] and we will send you a role description and an application form.

Trust House Reading are proud to organise in association with West Berkshire Council the Sexual Health Event in Northbrook Street, Newbury on Friday 12^th August 2016 (12.00 – 16.00)

The event forms part of our annual awareness-raising campaign “The Elephant in the Room” which aims to challenge individuals, communities and society at large to start communicating about rape and sexual abuse. A topic that everyone is aware of but no one wants to talk about as it’s too uncomfortable or considered taboo.

Ask any survivor of sexual violence and abuse about living with “the elephant in the room” and they will understand exactly the dreadful burden of living day to day with the impact of their victimisation.

Victims of rape and sexual violence don’t ask to be raped, assaulted or abused and many find they are left to cope with the pain on their own.

It is never the victim’s fault

In their hearts, victims and survivors find this difficult to believe and very often society reinforces this belief with punishing attitudes and myths.

Our vision:

• To challenge the status quo of communication that exists around rape and sexual violence.
• To create an awareness of the taboo around talking about rape and sexual abuse.
• To empower and encourage survivors to speak out and seek help.
• To involve the community in acknowledging the needs of victims of rape and sexual abuse.

Namita Prakash, Service Manager at Trust House Reading, said: “We are looking forward to the awareness day. It is an opportunity to reach out to people who need critical support from our specialist services and to break the silence around rape and sexual abuse. I would like to invite everyone to come and make it a big success. ”

Please join us at our stall in Northbrook Street, Newbury on Friday 12^th August to help us to raise awareness of the issue of sexual violence, to provide information and to talk to the public about the specialist services we offer at Trust House Reading.

There will also be a confidential health clinic for young people at The Waterside Centre, Newbury.

For more information please contact Namita Prakash, Service Manager, Trust House Reading on: 07791 567155 or [email protected]

It’s Volunteers’ Week 2016 and we would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our wonderful volunteers who make it possible for us to provide our specialist services. Trust House Reading would not be able to help the women, men and children living in Berkshire affected by rape or sexual abuse without the hard work and commitment of our volunteers. We really appreciate everything you do. THANK YOU!

Trust House Reading was very fortunate to be chosen as one of Reading RAG’s (@readingrag) chosen charities for 2015/2016. Our Service Manager, Namita Prakash attended the cheque handover event last night at the University of Reading and we’re delighted to announce that they raised £3238.33 for Trust House Reading!
We would like to thank everyone who participated in the variety of fundraising events they organised such as posing for a calendar, getting lost in Warwick or consuming A LOT of doughnuts! We are extremely grateful for your generosity and this money will make a huge difference to the continuation of our services – offering specialist support to women, men and children who have been affected by rape or sexual abuse.

Wednesday 9th March, 10.00am – 4.00pm
Hotel Novotel Reading Centre – 25b Friar Street Reading RG1 1DP

Organised by Trust House Reading – The Body Keeps the Score: Working with Childhood Sexual Abuse and Complex Trauma – Christiane Sanderson

Working with survivors of childhood sexual abuse can raise many challenges for professionals. This workshop will explore the impact of childhood sexual abuse within a complex trauma framework and highlight some of the specific difficulties faced by survivors such as trauma responses, shame, traumatic bonding and fear of intimacy and relationships.  Emphasis will be placed on understanding the impact of childhood sexual abuse and how to work with survivors using the principles of safe trauma therapy to aid their work with survivors CSA. To this effect grounding techniques to restore internal control will be explored, alongside how to manage trauma symptoms, shame and relational difficulties and how to restore reality. Particular attention will also be placed on how working with survivors of CSA impacts on professionals and the importance of therapist self care to minimise vicarious traumatisation and secondary traumatic stress.

Christiane Sanderson BSc.; MSc is an experienced counselling psychologist, lecturer and trainer in psychology and counselling, with a particular interest in child protection, interpersonal abuse and trauma.  She is a senior lecturer in psychology at Roehampton University and consultant and trainer to both statutory and voluntary agencies, as well as a practitioner with 25 years experience working with survivors of CSA. 

Tickets cost £55

If you are interested in attending, please contact Michelle on [email protected] or 0118 9502835