31 October 2025
Glasgow Rape Crisis launches manifesto with 'shameful' funding warning
1 hr ago
By Hannah Brown Political Correspondent
@HannahMargBrown
Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis charity, launch their manifesto, along with highlighting the statistic that "1 in every 5 women in Scotland over the age of 16 experiences sexual assault." (Image: Andrew Cawley)
The director of Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis has warned of a "shameful" funding shortfall to their services as they launch their manifesto ahead of the 2026 Holyrood election.
Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis (GCRC), one of Scotland’s largest and longest-established rape crisis services, has said a £500,000 gap in funding could mean they turn away over 500 women seeking their support.
The comments come as the centre has issued a stark plea for all political parties to back key commitments to end the crisis of sexual violence, strengthen support for survivors, and reform the justice system in their manifesto papers.
The manifesto also highlights that one in every five women in Scotland over the age of 16 experiences sexual assault.
At the heart of their manifesto call lies a warning that without urgent financial support, the centre’s future and the safety of thousands of women in the city and beyond could be at risk.
In their manifesto, GCRC calls for long-term and sustainable funding for their centre, and all other centres supporting survivors of rape and sexual violence.
Claudia Macdonald-Bruce, director of GCRC told our sister title The Herald the current funding from the Scottish Government is “shameful” given the significant rise in demand for their services.
“This idea that we can keep on running at a deficit and not cover full cost feels shameful as demand is increasing for services,” she said.
“We are asking for commitment to additional funding so we can secure the longevity of our centre so that we don’t need to turn survivors away.”
Since 2021, requests for help from the centre has risen every year - with demand surging by nearly 50% in the past year alone.
In 2024-25, nearly 3,100 survivors received one-to-one support from trauma-informed specialists, while more than 40,000 women and girls engaged with the service overall - a 42% increase on the previous year.
The surge in need has outpaced funding.
GCRC currently receives £549,483 directly from the Scottish Government’s Delivering Equally Safe (DES) fund, alongside £145,520 via Rape Crisis Scotland to deliver prevention workshops in schools, and £171,000 from the Victim Centred Approach Fund (VCAF) to provide justice advocacy support.
However, even with these allocations, the centre says it faces a £500,000 shortfall in 2026/27.
They claim that gap could cut the number of survivors supported from 2,500 in 2025/26 to around 2,000 in the following year.
“For around £500 we can provide our specialist service to one survivor a year,” Ms Macdonald-Bruce said. “I don’t think asking the Scottish Government for this is a big ask."
The manifesto also calls for improved responses for survivors of rape and sexual violence, improved access to justice, reporting and for the government to "reduce the complexity of the justice system".
Claudia Macdonald-Bruce, director of Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis
Ms Macdonald-Bruce added:
"Every £500 we don’t have we have to turn away one more survivor and right now we are getting about 100 new survivors coming to us every month and we can only take on half of them into service.
"Every month, 50 of them are having to wait and that wait can potentially last up to 6 months.”
This is amid a backdrop of increased recorded crimes of rape and attempted. In the last 10 years, there has been a 60% increase and in 2024-25 alone, recorded crimes of rape and attempted rape increased by 15%.
“As soon as a survivor says they need us, we have to be there and right now we are having to say, ‘We might be able to help you, we might be able to see you in six months’ time’ and that just does not feel like something we should have to say to a survivor who has taken the brave step to talk to us," Ms Macdonald-Bruce said.
GCRC is a voluntary and independent service, which Ms Macdonald-Bruce describes as meaning “survivors are our bosses.”
She explained that without clarity from the Scottish Government on next year’s funding, she “did not know” if she would have to put staff on notice by January.
“It just feels like a really shameful way to be running the only specialist services for survivors of sexual violence,” she said, “We are telling ourselves lies about the state of our country for women and girls”
If funding levels remain flat in 2026, she warned, it will amount to a real-terms cut.
“If I have the same funding level this year as I have next year, I’ve also got some other grants that I’ve secured coming to an end, that will all signal a real terms drop by £250,000 and I’m not sure what 2027 or 2028 would look like.
“We may have to pause taking on new referrals if they continue with the level of influx in demand.”
Ms Macdonald-Bruce said Scotland’s political leaders must be honest about the scale of the problem.
“For a country which claims to be leading the way in terms of equality for women it feels to me that we are so far away from it,” she said, “We’re kicking a survivor's ability to be supported into the long grass.”
She said the centre is forced to prioritise survivors based on vulnerability, such as those giving police statements, going to court, or under the age of 18, but she is concerned women are falling through the cracks under this system.
“We worry. It’s heart-breaking having to say to someone we can’t help you right now.
“We are doing our best to hold onto that relationship but I’d love to see someone else who’s made decisions about funding try and contend with that on a daily basis like we do because it’s so hard.”
Asked if the shortfall in funding is endangering more women, she said: “What it’s doing is it’s giving a sign to women that they’re not deserving of the help that they’ve asked for.
"Asking them to wait could make them feel that they are not worthy of help and could potentially trigger them into a feeling where they might spiral, might use different coping strategies which could be toxic or harmful or they might take decisions that could further impede on their safety
In December last year, the centre learned it would receive the same funding level as last year. However, confirmation of next year’s allocation is now expected in January due to the Scottish budget being pushed to a later date than normal.
Ms Macdonald-Bruce said uncertainty around next year’s funding is taking a toll.
“Even if we could get some sort of funding commitment from the government by the end of November that would make an incredible difference to our ability to plan and prepare for increasing demand.”
Her warning is directed not only at the current administration, but to all parties ahead of the 2026 election.
She added: “Does the next government, whoever it is, want to pick up the mantle in May 2026 and have a rape crisis sector in Scotland that is fledgling and is in turn reducing the service they can provide to women and girls that have experienced rape and sexual violence. I think it’s all very scary that we could get to that."
The Scottish Government has said they remain "steadfast" in their commitment to eradicate all violence against women and girls.
Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart said the government announced a £2.4m uplift to the delivering equally safe fund for 2025-26, bringing the total investment to £21.6m for 2025-26.
Ms Stewart added: “The Victim Centred Approach Fund now forms part of the Scottish Government Fairer Funding pilot, and will provide £32 million to 23 organisations between 2025-2027, including £12 million for specialist advocacy support for survivors of gender-based violence.
“Ministers are considering funding decisions beyond March 2026 and we expect confirmation of funding to be made as part of the Scottish Budget process.”