First Step Annual Impact Report 2022-2023

25 Years celebrating our past and visioning our future

Annual Impact Report 2022 - 2023

First Step Leicester Leicestershire & Rutland

Charitable Incorporated Organisation

Registered No. 1165062

First Step empowers men to move forward from the negative impact sexual abuse has had on their lives

What Drives Us

Our Motivation

At First Step we are committed to helping create a world in which survivors can talk freely about abuse without fear, pressure or judgement; a place where male survivors, alongside secondary survivors and supporters, can readily access the help they need. This includes therapeutic services, practical advice and support to meet their daily living needs. This help is designed to be accessible, kind, safe, free, confidential, and based on acceptance. As a result, survivors can have a sense of hope and opportunity for their futures, embedded within a supportive community that is open, welcoming and understanding towards their experiences.

Our Vision

For a world where survivors of sexual abuse are empowered to live life as they choose, where their experiences no longer define who they are and who they can become.

Our Objectives

• To promote and protect the physical and mental health of male-identified and nonbinary persons aged 13 years and above who have experienced sexual abuse, through the provision of counselling, support, information and practical advice.

• To promote and protect the physical and mental health of the supporters of maleidentified and non-binary survivors of sexual abuse, through the provision of support, information and practical advice.

• To advance the education of the public in all matters related to the sexual abuse of male-identified and non-binary survivors aged 13 years and above.

Our Values

Our values reflect our identity and what we mean to one another including staff, volunteers, service users and their supporters, both internally and externally.

Understanding and accepting

Evolving, adapting and resilient

Relational

We’re all about people and connection

Inclusion

Inspirational

Sharing ideas and raising awareness

First Step is an inclusive organisation. Throughout this document, use of the term ‘male’ includes all persons that identify as male or non-binary. Whilst terms may be used interchangeably depending on the narrative and context presented in this document, they each include all persons that identify in any of these ways.

Warm Welcome

Review of 2022/23

- celebrating our past and visioning our future

The year was significant for First Step as we marked our 25th anniversary. We held a series of events throughout the year to celebrate all we have achieved, proudly showcasing our successes and recognising our reputation for providing a safe space where men, and their supporters, are listened to and supported on their healing journeys.

Whilst there is a lot to be grateful for, the year was not without its challenges in the post pandemic world.

The complex landscape of social and economic pressures has seen an increase in the demand for support services across all areas. This has stretched organisations in the not for profit sector that are fighting hard to deliver meaningful benefit to the community in their specific area of specialism.

First Step was not spared from these difficulties. But, thanks to the commitment, compassion and resilience of our team of dedicated staff and volunteers we have

continued to respond to all that has been asked of us, successfully securing the resources we needed from our funding partners to continue delivering and developing our services and to help more people.

The number of referrals we received, individuals we supported and different ways in which we provided therapeutic services and other means of assistance all increased against a backdrop of reduced funding opportunities and tightening budgets.

Unphased, we simply got on with helping those who needed our support.

This was a tremendous achievement for everyone, and testament to the spirit of First Step that has grown over the last 25 years.

Towards the end of our anniversary year we held a team strategy day which involved staff, volunteers, survivors, trustees and other key stakeholders. The day galvanised the passion we all feel for the

organisation, harnessed some innovative thinking and generated exciting ideas on how we can further develop and extend our services.

This kickstarted activity focusing on our strategic plan for the next five years, identifying the building blocks needed for development and growth.

This momentum will continue as we work towards achieving new goals and meeting future aspirations, ultimately helping more people retake control and move forward.

As we reflect back on the year 2022-2023, all involved in First Step should take pride in their contribution to help create the welcoming, nurturing and supportive environment we have in place.

Underpinned by a 25 year legacy we should also be excited and confident of what comes next.

We have many more steps to take, let’s all keep walking.

Mark Evans Chair First Step Leicester Leicestershire & Rutland

Our First 25 Years

Celebrating 25 years of supporting male survivors

In May 2022 First Step celebrated its 25th anniversary, providing specialist support to male survivors of sexual abuse (SA) and rape, and their supporters.

Founded in 1997 by a small group of committed volunteers led by two male survivors of sexual abuse, First Step began as a peer-led community initiative and has grown into a professionally run Charitable Incorporated Organisation with our own centre and specialist staff team.

We are the only organisation that supports male survivors of sexual abuse in the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland areas, and across the East Midlands region. In fact, there are only seven primarily male survivor organisations in the whole of the UK. We strive to work closely with these organisations and are actively developing new partnership projects with them.

Locally, we work in close collaboration with our sister services that provide support to female survivors of SA including

FreeVA, Quetzal, Juniper Lodge-SARC and Trade Sexual Health.

With a specialisation in therapeutic counselling, our work has evolved over the years to include a range of therapeutic support pathways for adult male survivors; a unique service for children and young people aged 13 years and above; therapeutic and peer support for secondary survivors (i.e. the friends and family of people who have experienced sexual abuse); and specialist projects, such as our specialist counselling provision in HMPs Leicester and Stocken.

Our celebrations of this momentous milestone culminated in a Survivor-Focused Event in September 2022, attended by over 30 survivors, supporters, staff, volunteers and trustees.

All our speakers were survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA) themselves and involved in the male survivor sector both in the UK and globally as activists, advocates, academics and practitioners.

Reflections

Looking back on a year of challenge, change and growth

This is my first annual report as CEO of First Step since being handed the baton from my respected predecessor Cas Beckett who ran the charity for 11 years and has left a deep legacy to build upon.

As I reflect on the year, ‘challenge, change and growth’ have been the themes within the organisation, mirroring the personal journeys of our clients as they move from surviving to thriving.

Whilst challenging, the year has been immensely rewarding for the charity as we celebrated a significant milestone in our history, developed new partnerships locally, nationally and globally and welcomed a new staff team to deliver our vital services for male survivors.

Our 25th anniversary celebrations culminated in an event attended by over 30 people. We welcomed old and new faces and heard heartfelt speeches from survivor activists about their own experiences, their path to activism and building communities of hope, resilience and strength

with other male survivors. We extend our sincere thanks to Alastair Hilton, the cofounder of First Step in 1997, Dr Ian Warwick, the founder of Survivors Sheffield, Dr Chris Dolan from the Ugandan Refugee Law Project, Barry Merryweather, a First Step peer supporter, and our clients for sharing insights, expertise and stories.

In early 2023, we partnered with Purple House Clinic in Leicester to pilot a project where their lead Psychologist would deliver EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing) to a group of First Step clients who were still experiencing significant symptoms of trauma after their talking therapies had ended with us. This pilot has been a resounding success with positive improvements in the severity of trauma symptoms reported by clients. We hope to secure future funding to be able to offer this therapy as part of our inhouse options for clients.

As the year progressed, we started to build connections across the globe in the male survivor sector and were extremely

delighted to host a visit to First Step by ECPAT’s (End Child Prostitution and Trafficking) Head of Programme for the Global Boys Initiative, Francesco Cecon, who interviewed our staff on our practice and methodologies when supporting men and boys affected by sexual abuse, culminating in the publication of a UK good practice case study and an invitation to their Global Boys Initiative conference in Morocco in 2023.

Locally and nationally, we continued to build on our existing partnerships. Our formal partnership with Juniper Lodge-SARC to deliver the pilot NHS funded specialist prison counselling service to male survivors of CSA in HMPs Stocken and Leicester, came to an end in March 2023. An independent evaluation highlighted the immense impact the counselling service had on inmates, enabling them to start processing complex and multiple childhood traumas and move forward in their healing journeys. First Step has continued the service as we look to secure long term sustainable funding for the project.

We brought First Step out into the community by marching with our banner for Leicester Pride in September, for the first time. Around 1in 5 of our clients identify

as belonging to the LGBT+ community and as such it was important for us to march in solidarity, raise awareness of our services and shine a light on the sexual abuse of men and boys. Also, in September we held an Sexual Violence (SV) sector wide training event with Dino Nocivelli, an expert lawyer in historic child sexual abuse cases, to enable practitioners to understand the CICA (Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority) process and bring cases for expert oversight.

I would like to thank the dedication, commitment and support of the staff team, counsellors, trustees and funders who continue to make First Step the amazing ‘small but mighty’ charity that it is.

And most importantly we supported over 200 men and boys and their supporters by being able to provide a safe place to share their stories, be validated and listened to and help them to heal from their abuse.

Caroline Freeman Chief Executive Officer

First Step Leicester Leicestershire & Rutland

Ben - a survivor’s story

Ben a White/British, trans male, aged 28 was a survivor of significant childhood sexual abuse and trauma.

Diagnosed with autism Ben lived in supported accommodation and struggled with anxiety, blackouts and levels of agoraphobia that prevented him from leaving his flat. Ben often got angry and frustrated which he would take out on other people. Coming to First Step was a significant challenge to Ben as it meant being around other people. At his assessment, it was clear that Ben was not ready for counselling due to his anxiety, so he was offered an initial 8 sessions of emotional support with Michelle.

When Ben came for his first session, he was unable to make eye contact in the room and was clearly very nervous. He told Michelle that he was unable to look after himself very well and wasn’t cleaning his flat, washing his clothes or eating properly.

During Ben’s first few sessions together, it was about making him feel safe and offering him the space where he felt heard and understood without the fear of being judged. Over the space of the next 6 weeks, Michelle started to see a difference in Ben as he started to relax, making

eye contact and sitting back in the chair rather than sitting forward like he was ready to leave at any given moment. Ben was finding it difficult to connect to his feelings, due to the impact of the trauma, however he did state that he wanted to work on reducing his social anxiety and wanted to work towards being able to sit in a coffee shop.

Due to Ben’s complex needs, we agreed to extend Ben’s sessions and work with him on being able to gain the confidence to go out socially. At first in the coffee shop Ben was anxious and unable to speak, almost hiding behind Michelle, however during the time spent in the shop they discussed how Ben felt in the moment, what was uncomfortable for him and what kind of impact these feelings had on his life. After the coffee shop Michelle and Ben would go back to the offices and have a de-brief about the experience.

Over the coming weeks, Ben with the support of Michelle gradually built up his confidence and was able (through forward scenario planning) to eventually order the drinks and pay without Michelle’s support. Eventually Ben was able to meet Michelle in a much busier coffee shop further away from the office.

Ben also reported that he had started to tidy up his flat and take rubbish bags out one at a time (there had been a massive build up) and started emptying the cat litter tray. He had managed to buy a washing machine and was now washing his clothes and had started showering before the session.

Ben was acutely self-conscious of his appearance and didn’t want to meet other people due to the amount of cat hairs on his clothes. Michelle suggested that they go into a shop together and buy a lint roller which Ben was reluctant to do, but he managed it without becoming overwhelmed, achieving another small milestone in his recovery journey.

At Ben’s review session, Ben said he had noticed a change in himself. He stated that he had found the time helpful, he was able to start looking after himself and his cat and was taking pride in doing this. He said that even his family members could see a difference as he had for the first time in many years, met his Mum and sister in town and was able to go into a coffee shop and order the drinks.

After 18 weeks of emotional support, Michelle explained to Ben that his support sessions were coming to an end, and he

was ready to progress into therapeutic counselling sessions. Everyone could see the impact the support had had on Ben and how much more confident he was feeling.

Our Year in Numbers

Service user referrals for the period April 2022 to March 2023

Total Referrals

Location Key

Map ID in table opposite

Our work in prisons

First Step embarked on a pilot project in partnership with the Juniper Lodge Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) to offer support to male survivors of sexual assault and abuse living in custodial settings. The subsequent launch of a prison-based counselling service has been highly successful, creating opportunities for a sizeable number of male survivors of historic and recent sexual abuse to receive specialist therapeutic support.

In addition to referrals from the community, First Step supported a further 33 adult males currently in prison during 2022/2023, split between HMP Leicester in the city centre and HMP Stocken in the east of Rutland.

Funding for the pilot project officially ended in March 2023, but First Step has committed to continuing to offer the service whilst alternative funding is secured to ensure longer term sustainability of the service.

Our Year in Numbers Community Referrals

Referral Source

Half of all referrals to First Step were made directly by clients themselves or close family members. Around a third of referrals came from other agencies and services working in, or connected to, the Sexual Violence sector.

Referrals from within prisons was also significant, particularly at HMP Stocken where more than 20 survivors received therapeutic support.

Demographic Profile

Age at Referral

The age range across all survivors referred to First Step during the year spanned more than six decades, with a relatively equal distribution among adults aged 18 to 54 years.

65 to 74 years

55 to 64 years

45 to 54 years

35 to 44 years

25 to 34 years

18 to 24 years

16 to 17 years

13 to 15 years

Disability Status

A quarter of all referrals disclosed a disability.

Not Stated

Does not have a disability

Has a disability

Our Year in Numbers

Demographic Profile

Three quarters of clients were recorded as White British, which did not reflect the multi-cultural profile of Leicester city and the wider county.

Black / African / Caribbean / Black

Of those clients that declared a belief in a specific religion, the majority identified as Christian, followed by Muslim and Hindu. Ethnicity

Gender Identification

Whilst the majority of clients identified as male, an increasing number identified as other genders at the time of being referred to First Step.

Orientation

Close to a fifth of referrals received during the year identified as gay or bisexual.

Service Delivery

Over 2000 therapeutic counselling sessions delivered

Over the course of the year, we saw increased levels of activity in terms of referrals received, number of sessions we delivered and ways in which we were able to support our service users.

The number of referrals increased by 16% from the previous year, totalling 214 up from 181 during the previous twelve months. This included service users in custodial environments at HMP Stocken

in Rutland and HMP Leicester, who were supported through the specialist prison counselling project together with an increase in referrals for supporters.

We actively supported 185 individuals, both clients and their supporters, across our six core service areas. We delivered more than 2000 sessions of counselling and support including face-to-face, online and over the telephone.

25% 26% 20% of clients from a non-white British background of clients declared a disability as defined by 2010 Equality Act of clients identified as gay, bisexual or pansexual

Between April 2022 and March 2023 we accepted 214 new referrals

in-person | video link | telephone call actively supported 185 individuals

Julie - a secondary survivor

Julie was a 50-year-old, White/British, female and Grandmother of 3 boys who were all sexually abused by another family member.

The boys had disclosed the abuse 2 years before and were now waiting for the offender’s trial date. Two of the boys were attending counselling through the Young People’s Pre-trial Therapy Service, as well as their mother, Julie’s daughter.

Julie accessed the Emotional Support Service after she started talking to the staff on reception about some of her difficulties. Julie stated that she suffered from severe anxiety resulting in regular panic attacks, depression, sleep issues and felt overwhelmed with her emotions most days. Julie said that she felt like a failure and had high levels of guilt and shame about the abuse that had occurred within the family.

Julie was offered 6 weekly emotional support sessions with Michelle the emotional support worker who spent the first few sessions building a therapeutic relationship, offering Julie a safe place that was non-judgemental with warmth and acceptance.

Over the coming weeks Michelle worked with Julie and focused on developing cop-

ing strategies to reduce her anxiety using techniques such as box breathing and the 5 senses activity to ground her when she was feeling emotionally overwhelmed. Michelle also worked with Julie on setting small goals that she could achieve and these increased as the weeks passed.

Once Julie was in a safer, more comfortable place, Michelle started exploring with Julie her thoughts and feelings using the analogy of a suitcase (all the stuff she was carrying) and what she needed to let go of, such as carrying all of the family’s feelings that were not hers to carry.

Julie was also able to write letters to all the people in her family explaining why she been feeling the way she had and reported that she felt she was now having better communication at home and was now able to re-engage in activities that she used to do such as walking the dogs.

At a review session with Julie, she said that that she felt much calmer, was managing situations better and putting into practice the coping strategies she had learnt. She had started baking again and was planning a holiday with the family.

At the end of the sessions, Julie had changed dramatically. She no longer needed her husband to accompany her to

survivor’s story

the office, was chattier and had started laughing again and trying to enjoy life whilst also being there for her Grandsons.

Julie left the sessions in a much better place and has indicated that she would like to join the Supporters Group to meet other people who are going through similar situations as herself.

She has said her time at First Step was invaluable and that she was leaving with her suitcase packed neatly and tidied away.

Julie said this about the service.

“It’s like you’re there walking along side me supporting me and I can see your footprints in the sand as you walk next to me on my journey, I feel good now- what a journey”

Activity and Impacts

Focus on outreach, participation, training and development

In addition to celebrating our 25th Anniversary we organised and attended a number of successful events during the year. This included community outreach and promotional events to showcase our service offerings, and providing training and development opportunities for staff, volunteers and partner organisations.

Community Awareness Raising of First Step at Leicester Pride.

In September 2022, First Step attended its first Pride at the request of our sector partner Trade Sexual Health and marched with our newly branded banner through Leicester City Centre in solidarity and support of the LGBTQ+ community. Our stand generated many enquiries about First

Step services from the public as well as raising our profile with local partners.

Mental Health Community & Voluntary Sector Networking Event for Mental Health.

First Step was invited to attend a VCS mental health event providing an opportunity to network with other professionals working within the mental health sector from across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Through this event we were able to develop important links with Dear Albert, a peer support Drug and Alcohol recovery service, LAMP, Turning Point and P3 - all of these services complement the wrap around First Step provides clients that come to the service for support.

SV Sector Wide Legal Clinic on Child Sexual Abuse Claims.

Organised by First Step, this event was run to enable practitioners from across the sexual violence sector in Leicestershire to gain vital knowledge regarding the legal aspects of historic child abuse claims and the CICA process. The event included a keynote presentation from one of the country’s leading CSA claims lawyers, Dino Nocivelli of Leigh Day Solicitors. Over 30 professionals attended representing 9 agencies within the city, including 3 offic-

ers from Leicestershire Police CAIU (Child Abuse Investigation Unit). The feedback on the event from participants was extremely positive and it provided First Step with a platform to raise our profile and the work that we do with men. Following the event both De Montfort University and the CAIU requested that we visit their teams to talk about First Step Services.

Training and Development.

During the course of the year, First Step provided opportunities for our counselling team to develop their skills and knowledge when working with male survivors through providing free online training focused on child sexual abuse with Carolyn Spring and through our internal Working with Men training for new counsellors.

We use several outcome measurement tools to demonstrate the impact of First Step including SWEMWBS (Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Score) at intermittent stages of a client’s counselling journey. 60% of clients reported that their resilience and ability to cope with everyday life had improved, with 55% stating that their feelings of safety and their overbeing had also improved.

Staff & Volunteers

Our team makes First Step a safe and welcoming place for everyone

Staff Team

The start of 2022 saw a change in the First Step team. Cas Beckett stepped down after 11 years of continuous service to the organisation, having helped First Step to become a leading service provider in the male SA sector. Caroline Freeman joined as Service Manager in March 2022, subsequently becoming the organisation’s CEO in 2023. Caroline’s prior role was National Lead for Project CARA, having previously held roles at The Hampton Trust, FreeVA and Respect. Further changes to the team during the year saw new members join us, Michelle Green as Emotional Support Worker and Stuart Levers as Service Coordinator & Clinical Lead, both of whom were recruited from our committed team of dedicated volunteers.

Volunteers

We wouldn’t be able to offer the full range of services or high number of counselling sessions without the support of our volunteer community.

The number of active volunteers naturally fluctuates during the course of the year, and at the end of March 2023 we had 15 active trainee and qualified counsellors delivering counselling sessions to our clients and supporters.

Thanks to continued funding by the Ministry of Justice funding, we have been able to continue to pay our qualified counsellors to deliver counselling sessions to our most complex adult clients and boys aged 13-17 years who are referred into the service, helping to ensure we do not have long waiting lists for counselling. This has enabled us to retain counsellors after their placements have finished, ensuring their specialist expertise in counselling male survivors of sexual abuse stays within the service.

Sessional Workers

Clinical Supervisors

First Step ensures that all counsellors receive clinical supervision in line with BACP guidance, to maintain ethical and quality counselling practice as well as to ensure that counsellors’ own well-being is maintained whilst working with traumatised clients.

In 2022-23 a new streamlined model of clinical governance was implemented reducing the number of external clinical supervisors from twelve to five.

Sessional Workers

At the end of March, we had 4 sessional, qualified counsellors to deliver counselling to clients with complex needs.

In addition, we used the services of an external sessional worker to update our website and social media channels.

External Consultants

We also use the services of an external management consultant from 3 Worlds Consulting to support us with our monitoring, reporting and evaluation processes in addition to outsourcing externally our IT, Payroll and accounting functions.

Trustees

The Board of Trustees (BoT) continued to serve First Step on a voluntary basis, offering their experience and expertise to support the operational and strategic development of the organisation.

At the AGM in January 2023 Mark Evans was voted to continue in the role of Chair and Mick Studley was voted to continue in the role of Honorary Treasurer. Rahoul Naik was also appointed as a Trustee at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in January 2023.

No trustees resigned during the period.

Partnerships

Our partner organisations enable us to develop and provide our services

We greatly appreciate the support of service partners and funding organisations that enable us to undertake the work we do.

Service Partners

Funding Partners

Financial Review

First Step receives financial support through the award of government grants, directly from grant-making trusts and foundations, and from private individuals who recognise the value of the work we do.

The total funding received in the year ending March 2023 increased by 20% from the previous year.

Expenditure for the year increased by 10%. This was predominantly related to staff costs reflecting the increase in services delivered during the period.

Aaron - a survivor’s story

Aaron, a man in his mid-30s, engaged with the project at HMP Leicester.

Aaron was referred to the project through a routine assessment with the healthcare team, which had unearthed his experiences of childhood sexual abuse. As a very young child he had been sexually abused by two of his brother’s friends on multiple occasions including penetration and coercion to perform sexual acts. He suffered with anxiety and depression and had a history of anger and aggression. Aaron had spent much of his adult life in and out of prison. He noted that, before the counselling, “I didn’t give a damn about anything.”

When he started the counselling support he was sceptical. He had not been looking for help and did not see the connection between his childhood experiences and the issues in his adult life. However, he was open to the process.

Awaiting sentencing, Aaron had four counselling sessions in which he began to explore his past, the sessions creating a space for honest reflection. He said “It took me a long time to get down to the nitty-gritty. My mental health, I was in a really bad place. The process was bringing up a lot of stuff. Untangling that knot, I

wanted to understand. It was a breakthrough moment.” Aaron felt that prison was the ideal place to explore his past experiences. He said, “If you’re not approached to deal with it in prison, you’re not going to when you get out.” However, he did note the challenge of having to go straight back to his cell after counselling sessions, “left alone with my thoughts.”

Aaron was sentenced and transferred to HMP Ranby. He had requested transfer to HMP Stocken so that he could continue with his counselling support. Efforts were made by the project team and staff at HMP Stocken to achieve this, however, this was not possible. Over the following eight months in that prison, Aaron started journalling as a means to processing his thoughts.

A couple of weeks after release Aaron contacted the First Step office and an appointment was made for him to meet with the Project Counsellor two weeks later. Over the following few months he engaged with eight support sessions. With the Project Counsellor he explored his sense of identity and relationships with others, including emotions and behaviours that had protected him in childhood, but had proved destructive in adulthood.

Aaron found the counselling a very positive experience and offered high praise for the Project Counsellor. Aaron noted that there was a healthy balance in the sessions, between talking about serious issues and “having a few laughs.”

Aaron reported that his life is profoundly different as a result of the counselling support. Even though he only had a few sessions in prison, he noted a positive impact on his mental health at that time. He stated, “(It was) liberating, like a weight being lifted off my shoulders.” Having completed his counselling journey in the community, he feels that he has come to terms with his past. He has achieved far greater selfawareness which has opened up a whole new set of opportunities for his future. He said, “I began to understand myself a lot better. I’ve forgiven myself and am beginning to forgive other people. I’ve let go of a lot of things. It’s allowed me to move forward. I’m 37 years old and I’m just learning who I am!”

A year after Aaron was released from prison he remains cautiously optimistic about the future. He has told his parents that he is not going back to prison again - he feels equipped to break the cycle of destructive behaviour that consumed so much of his adult life, and to make real change.

Things People Say

Your feedback helps us focus where it’s needed and improve what we do

The support and care is there for the volunteers. I really felt nurtured and held. Having that feeling means I can do the same for somebody else.

First Step volunteer counsellor

I now understand the effect things which happened to me in my childhood has had on my adult life. In understanding that those things were not my fault, I have come to feel more empowered in taking control of my own destiny.

First Step service user

At First Step it’s programmed into the DNA to be understanding and accepting. Right off the bat I felt like I was with people who wanted to help me. I’ve never experienced that before.

First Step service user

Respecting everyone’s humanity, without naïveté. It’s not being everyone’s best mate, but respect and kindness. There’s great respect for each person, clients and volunteers. Clients really value that. You are not a client you’re a person.

First Step service user

The Service puts the client at the centre, and I am always blown away by their standard of service, professionalism and care.

First Step referral partner

I felt sick when I made the appointment and almost expected rejection. I am a man now but the abuse happened when I was a girl aged eight. I expected it to feel awkward to explain but she never flinched at anything I said. It was so calm and suddenly I was just me. I knew I could do it with First Step’s help.

First Step service user

Your work brings light to dark places and hope and a future to this once broken man.

Thank you for your loyalty and dedication you have shown to me.

Our Next Steps Planning for our future and the journey ahead

As part of our anniversary year activities we held a stakeholder strategy day on March 2023 involving the staff team, volunteers, service users and the Board of Trustees and other key stakeholders in the organisation.

During the day we focused on the organisation’s vision, mission and aims, and envisaged how First Step could build on its strong foundation and credentials for excellence to address the shifting landscape of needs among male survivors.

Discussions were animated and engaging, with everyone contributing to the creation of a clear forward vision for First Step. This reflected on key factors shaping the organisation, both internal and external, alongside critical changes taking place in the world in which we operate.

We imagined a world in which all boys and men affected by sexual abuse and assault get the support they need to live their lives to the full. We challenged ourselves to look at new ways of helping survivors and their supporters, considering the

changing landscape around us and to understand what is needed from us in 2023, and beyond. We thought about how the holistic support we offer relates to the counselling we know is so desperately needed, and how we can further develop this as we continue to grow.

Developing our longer term strategic plan for development will remain a focus for the coming year, underpinned by a funding strategy that will enable us to continue and develop the great work we do, reach more people in need of support, educate on all matters related to the sexual abuse of men, and extend the public benefit we deliver to society as a whole.

A final word of thanks

First Step is a partnership between our management, staff, volunteers, clients, funders and the professional agencies we connect with. Our collaborative approach has been a key strength throughout our journey and will be as we move forward.

We are committed to continue our work, and this will only be possible with the time and dedication of all involved in the design, delivery, development, monitoring and management of our services.

A very big ‘thank you’ to everyone that contributes in so many ways, big and small, to make First Step what it is.