South Essex Rape and Incest Crisis Centre

Two members of the Thurrock based South Essex Rape and Incest Crisis Centre (SERICC) have returned from a visit to the United Nations in New York where they were invited to present issues facing the UK women's Non Governmental Organizations (NGO) and the issues in particular facing the women's sexual violence sector to the Convention on Elimination of all Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Both members of SERICC were delighted that a Thurrock organisation had been given the opportunity to represent the UK.

Sheila Coates said, "the UK is signed up to the CEDAW convention, every four years the UK government has to report its progress to the CEDAW committee on women's equality. Taking part in the reporting process was a valuable process as the committee were keen to hear the views of a front line service, as this informs their questioning of government ministers and officials."

Lee Eggleston said, "focusing on the issues faced by women and girls who have experienced sexual violence and the impact of government law and policy on women and girls for two days is a rare event. Having the opportunity to discuss these issues at the United Nations CEDAW Committee was welcome."

CEDAW Reports

Essex charity champ awarded MBE for helping rape victims

A QUARTER of a century after starting her groundbreaking charity, this community stalwart says there's still as much to be done about the problem of sexual violence against women as ever.

Sheila Coates MBE

Sheila Coates - South Essex Rape and Incest Crisis Centre (SERICC) is awarded an MBE for services to women's issues and women in the community

"It is not unusual for issues that specifically effect women and girls to be overlooked, marginalized and ignored, so many women and girls a year are murdered, abducted, raped and what action is taken to address this 'war on women'?"

"I am pleased to accept this honour which was awarded under the heading of services to women and women's issues as recognition of the often hidden struggle that women and girls face when coping with the impact of sexual violence on their lives and, as an acknowledgement of the dedication of all my colleagues at SERICC and the wider UK violence against women sector."
Sheila Coates

"Afraid" by Sharon McGovern

The heartbreaking but hugely inspiring account of a little girl's survival through extreme abuse and her inspiring fight for justice...

At the age of four years old Sharon McGovern knew that her new stepfather was doing something he shouldn't, touching her in the wrong way and threatening her so she wouldn't tell her Mummy.

At the age of ten Sharon was raped by this monster, Michael Garvey, in a bed where her older and younger brother were sleeping. It was an act of unspeakable cruelty. And it was the beginning: every night Sharon would hear the floorboards creak; every night Sharon lay awake, praying tonight he would be quick and the nightmare would be over. The abuse Sharon suffered went on for thirteen years. She reached out to a councillor, the very first adult she had ever told of the abuse, and he told her not to tell such lies and never to speak of it again. And she didn't until the day, forty years later, a fellow victim of Garvey - his own younger brother - arrived at her door to tell her he was going to the police to report his brother for raping him. The report went nowhere and Sharon knew it was up to her to cage this paedophile for good.

With unprecedented bravery, Sharon went to the police and faced the terror of her life in the dock. She looked into the whites of his eyes and proved - beyond doubt - that this man was a threat to children everywhere. Garvey was jailed and convicted of seven accounts of rape and numerous indecent assaults. He still remains in prison today.

Minister visits Thurrock rape crisis centre

THE Deputy Minister for Women, Barbara Follett, met with top Thurrock councillors, officers, health officials and members of the Thurrock-based South Essex Rape and Incest Crisis Centre (SERICC) on a visit to the borough.

The minister came to see SERICC's work at first hand and to speak with councillors and officers about how Thurrock Council supported the charity.

Those present included Thurrock Council Leader, councillor Terry Hipsey, Labour councillor, Gordon Gambier and Pam Court, chief executive of the South West Essex Primary Care Trust.

The number of such crisis centres across the country is falling and the minister wanted to know what Thurrock was doing to buck that trend with SERICC expanding and going from strength to strength.

The Minister said: "Rape Crisis centres provide vital support to victims of this horrific crime. Thurrock Council and South West Essex Primary Care Trust are to be congratulated for working in partnership with SERICC and helping to fund their crucial work.

"The partnership approach here in Thurrock is an excellent example of how other areas could provide support to women who are victims of sexual violence."

SERICC's director Sheila Coates said: "SERICC has been working closely with Barbara Follett and the Government Equalities Unit focusing on sexual violence as a Government priority.

"We are delighted that she decided to visit SERICC and spend time with Thurrock Council and the PCT to acknowledge local partnership work and to use our local experience as an example of good practice in the UK."

Councillor Hipsey added: "Thurrock Council supports SERICC and the work it does in our community. We have always known that it provides a first-class service to help those who are vulnerable and we - and our partners - work hard to help and support where ever we can.

"It is good to see that once again Thurrock Council and its partners are leading the way against such inhumane crimes and that our Strategic Partnership is also working hard in co-operation with all the various agencies - including the PCT and police - and with SERICC to help those who suffer from sexual abuse."

Councillor Gambier added: "I was pleased to hear from the minister that Thurrock will be used as an exemplar by the Government. The minister admitted she will be recommending some of our practices to her constituency and to the rest of the country.

"Much of the praise must go to SERICC for the hard work that they have put in. Their patience and dedication does them credit."

SERICC Wins Another Award

Rewarding excellence in healthcare design

Representatives from SERICC and Featherstone Associates were delighted to receive another award for building design that reflected and incorporated the needs of women, girls and their families who use services, in the design. The Building Better HealthCare Awards took place on 8th November 2007. SERICC were entered into Best Primary and Community Care Design.

The judges awarded SERICC a Special Judges Award and described SERICC as a 'little gem' within the community. The award was presented by architect and broadcaster Professor Maxwell Hutchinson.

Best in Primary and Community Care Design

An outstanding primary or community design project that contributes to making a healthy neighborhood and brings care closer to home. Shortlisted Finalists were:

Artesian House	Dransfield Owens da Silva and Pollard Thomas and Edwards Architects
Carlisle Health and Wellbeing Centre	Penoyre & Prasad LLP and Todd Architects
Heart of Hounslow Centre for Health	Penoyre & Prasad LLP
Kaleidoscope, Children and Young People's Centre	Van Heyningen and Haward Architects
Lordship Lane Primary Care Centre	Sonnemann Toon Architects
Lymington New Forest Hospital	Murphy Philipps Architects
South Essex Rape and Incest Crisis Centre	Featherstone Associates
Victoria Medical Centre, Tachbrook Triangle	Assael Architecture

SERICC Wins RIBA Award!

SERICC, exterior & interior

Since the summer of 2003, SERICC has been working with Sarah Featherstone Associates to redesign counselling and office space.

The practice spent time with counsel workers and women to understand the nature of their work and how women feel when they visit the centre. This information was developed into emotional diagrams which have inspired the new design.

Pod-like windows clad in timber shingles have been installed on the outside of the building. Likened to 'Listening Ears', the blinkered windows provide privacy and seating to the new counselling rooms.

Private and public circulation spaces wind around a central 'ribbon wall', which provides acoustic and visual separation between the main offices and counselling rooms.

Inspired by the complete transformation of the Crisis Centre, Thurrock Council have appointed Featherstone Associates to design a new Centre for Children with Disabilities in the nearby town of Tilbury - another project in desperate need of a sensitive but playful approach. The Crisis Centre was completed December 2005.

SERICC were delighted to be one of the winners of the East Region Royal Institute of British Architecture (RIBA) awards. For more information:

Sarah Featherstone BA Hons Dip Arch RIBA
FEATHERSTONE ASSOCIATES
sarah.f@featherstone-associates.co.uk
www.featherstone-associates.co.uk

RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architecture)
www.riba.org

RIBA Awards 2007 - East
www.architecture.com/go/Architecture/Also/Awards_6142.html

Anita Roddick

A year ago I came across an organisation called the South East Rape and Incest Crisis Centre (SERICC) - who provide a service to women and girls over 13 years old who have been raped, sexually assaulted, experienced child sexual abuse, sexual harassment or who have experienced any form of sexual violence or attempted sexual assault. They were housed in a nondescript building, but as I entered I was thunderstruck by the design. It was the best example of the aesthetics of space I had recently seen. I immediately contacted the architect Sarah Featherstone, (who cycles almost everywhere) to see her portfolio of work. And now a year later, I have a brand new office space, which is pretty amazing. Choosing graphics for the walls was easy - use the past as a prologue - I steered towards the old political posters. I love them. www.brushstroke.tv/peace.html

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