A Christmas Message from FRASAC
At FRASAC, we provide a range of support services to survivors of sexual violence - a role that is both incredibly fulfilling and at times, very emotionally and mentally demanding. Across every part of our project, our team works with difficult and challenging situations on a daily basis and as the Christmas break approaches, we are ready for a well-deserved time to rest and recharge.
Our office will be closed from 5pm, Tuesday 24th December 2024 and will re-open in the New Year at 8.30am on Monday 6th January 2025.
This time of year can be difficult for many, so we want to remind you to look after yourself this Christmas.
We have a range of self-help resources and helplines available on our Helpful Resources page.
The Rape Crisis Scotland helpline will be available daily from 5pm, you can call them on 08088 010302. (Please note the helpline will close at 11pm on Christmas Day and Hogmany) For more information about the helpline please visit the Rape Crisis Scotland website.
SARCS phone service will be available 24/7 throughout the Christmas period. You can contact them anytime on 0800 148 88 88. For more information on the sexual assault self-referral service click here.
Take care of yourself and we wish you a peaceful and safe Christmas.
FRASAC AGM Friday 22nd November 2024
Last Friday, we had the pleasure of hosting our 21st Annual General Meeting, a wonderful opportunity to bring together our staff, Board members, volunteers, supporters and friends to reflect on the past year.
A highlight of the day was hearing from one of FRASAC’s clients, who courageously shared their journey of using our services. Their story was deeply moving, and they also gifted us a glimpse of their creativity by sharing a powerful piece of their poetry.
As a heartfelt gesture, they presented their worker, Suzanne, with a stunning dragonfly artwork, a symbol of their personal journey through the support they received at FRASAC. We are honoured that the client has allowed us to feature the artwork on the cover of this year’s Annual Report and plan to give it a special place of prominence in our High Street office.
Feedback from clients is invaluable in shaping and improving the services we offer, and this year’s Annual Report continues to highlight these perspectives. We invite you to download the report here and hope you find it insightful and inspiring.
A big thank you to everyone who joined us at the AGM, and to St Bryce Kirk for providing such a welcoming venue. As we turn our focus to the festive season, we’re excited for what lies ahead both personally and professionally.
Don’t forget to keep an eye on our website for the Winter edition of our newsletter, set to arrive in January 2025. If you’d like to join the distribution list, please get in touch, we would love to share it with you!
Thank you for being part of our journey this year.
Volunteering Opportunities!
Vacancy for Volunteers
We are currently recruiting for volunteers! We have the following vacancies:
- Trauma Practitioner
- Counsellor
- Trainee Counsellor
To become a Volunteer, you will need to fill out an application form. You may then be selected to attend an interview and if successful attend 8 training sessions. Acceptance onto the training does not automatically secure a volunteering position, as prospective volunteers will be continually evaluated throughout the process.
The role of a Volunteer can be a challenging but rewarding one and we acknowledge the important role volunteers do in helping us to provide an excellent service to our clients. Fife Rape and Sexual Assault Centre is an independent voluntary organisation that offers a range of free and confidential time limited support to anyone 12+, who has been affected by rape and sexual assault.
Volunteers do not need a counselling diploma or counselling experience to volunteer with us.
Applicants from a diverse background are welcome to apply.
If you have any questions, call us on 01592 642336 or via email zoe.henderson@frasac.org.uk
Click here to access the volunteer application form and volunteer role description.
Closing date for applications is Thursday 10th October 2024 with interviews being expected to be held on 21st-22nd October 2024.
Training will commence on Wednesday 6th November 2024 4pm-8pm for full training dates, please contact Zoe.
Summer Newsletter
This September, jointly with KASP (Kingdom Abuse Survivors Project) we are delighted to share with you our newest edition of our Newsletter.
Our latest edition includes:
- FRASAC Team Updates
- Waiting List and Referral Updates
- FRASAC Client Poem
This edition will also keep you updated with what has been happening in FRASAC.
If you would like to join the mailing list for our newsletter or would like to feature in our next edition, please get in contact with us at info@frasac.org.uk marking your email FOA Niki.
Our newsletter can be viewed below via Sway:
Let's Talk Stalking
As you may be aware, there are many TV and film story lines at the moment which involve sexual violence. We are aware of how triggering this may be for survivors and wanted to pull some information together about one of the most talked about topics at the moment, stalking.
What is stalking?
According to Scottish Law, any act that occurs as part of a course of conduct (two or more instances) that cause fear and alarm for the victim can be considered an incident of stalking.
Stalking is unwanted, focussed behaviours carried out by one person, or persons, against another, causing fear and alarm. A wide range of behaviours may qualify as stalking including (but not limited to):
- Telephone calls.
- Sending unwanted messages and gifts.
- Harassment and monitoring on social media.
- Following and loitering.
- Verbal abuse.
This means that non-criminal acts, like a text message that says ‘your hair looks nice today’ can become criminal when they happen twice or more and cause the victim to feel afraid. A text message like this could easily make someone feel afraid, because it is intended to let them know that they are being watched.
This handy acronym can help to determine whether a behaviour is stalking:
- Fixated - in the stalker's world, everything revolves around the victim.
- Obsessive - never leaving the victim alone and always thinking about them.
- Unwanted - the victim constantly receiving attention that they do not want.
- Repeated - the stalker is always contacting the victim despite being told to stop.
The impact of stalking
Stalking has a devastating impact on victims which can be the main goal of a stalker. Often offenders aren't interested in the feelings of the person being targeted and are only focused on their own motivations.
TV and social media can trivialise the seriousness of stalking and its physical, psychological and financial impact and as a result this can leave victims isolated and struggling to have their experience understood and invalidated.
Statistics on Stalking*
- Those aged under 25 are more likely to experience stalking.
- Around 20% of victims of stalking are men.
- Women are more likely to be victims of stalking than men.
- 11% of adults in Scotland have experienced stalking behaviours.
- A quarter of stalking victims experience suicidal thoughts.
*source - Non-profit organisation | Action Against Stalking | Scotland
How we can help
Here at FRASAC we support anyone of any gender aged 12+ who has been affected by sexual violence at any time in their lives. This could mean that you may have experienced something personally or you may have supported a friend or loved one through their own experience. This may have been recently or may have been years ago - we can still support you. You can contact us on 01592 642336 during office hours to make a referral. Please note, you do not need to be referred via a professional to access our services. Alternatively, you can email us at info@frasac.org.uk.
Resources
Please check our resources page here which we have some resources, websites and helplines which may be useful.
To keep up to date with our services and any news on our organisation please follow us on our social media channels:
Facebook: Facebook
Twitter (X): FRASAC (@FRASACKirkcaldy) / X (twitter.com)
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