Croydon’s rape crisis centre has been given a life saving £260,000 in funding over the next three years by the Mayor of London.

Another rape crisis centre will be opening in Ealing and the Mayor is hoping two more will be agreed in North and East London before Christmas.

The Croydon centre has been the only point of contact for victims of rape and sexual abuse throughout the whole of London and has struggled to stay afloat with limited funding.

It has been guaranteed £260,000 to expand its helpline and increase its prevention work with young people.

Yvonne Traynor, chief executive of the centre, was thrilled they had been given £2,000 more than she had asked for.

There are no conditions attached to the funding and the centre will retain its independence.

She said: “They have trusted us to carry out our work. Boris came down here and met one of our clients and had a really long talk with her. He was really affected by it and now he is on our side.”

Woman of all ages contact the centre for help. Mrs Traynor said they are helping a woman of 74 who was raped when she was a teenager.

Boris Johnson said: “It is staggering that there was just one rape crisis centre for a city of seven million people.

“Today we are taking the first steps to redress that injustice.

"I am delighted to be able to announce how we will use new funds to open a brand new rape crisis centre in West London and give extra support to the terrific centre in Croydon, which I visited last year.”

The west London centre has been guaranteed £375,000 over the next three years by the Greater London Authority (GLA).

Kit Malthouse, deputy mayor for policing, visited the centre on Monday.

He said: “Today’s announcement is an extremely significant first step in increasing help for women who have been raped or assaulted.

“We are determined to catch and punish the perpetrators of sexual violence and do everything within our power to support those affected by these heinous crimes.”

One rape survivor's story

The Croydon Guardian spoke to one woman who said if it were not for the help she received at the centre she may have committed suicide.

Jennifer (not her real name), a mother of two in her forties, was sexually abused for several years between the age of nine and 16.

She said: “I had counselling over the years but when I was about 20, it was affecting me so much, I tried to commit suicide.

“I had to do something if I wanted to carry on. After I had counselling I thought it was all over and I would be able to get on with my life.

“But it still affected me very badly. I found the details of the rape crisis centre in the Yellow Pages. I called them up and told them my problems and I came in for counselling.

“I think I spent the first session just crying. After some counselling I started group therapy here and that helped enormously.

“There were about six of us and we had all been through something similar.

“I had been really struggling in my relationships with other people, I could not really talk to anyone.

"The women in my group helped me. I learned to cope with seven years of abuse.”

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