Tomorrow the Community Safety Team, together with staff members from Public Health and Sustainable Communities, will be making-over the garden at the new Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) at the Blue Sky Centre (George Eliot Hospital, Nuneaton).

Project Officers Martyn Stephens and Helen Earp from the Community Safety team have been working very hard on the SARC garden project – come along from 10:00 tomorrow (with a shovel!) to get involved in planting up, fence-painting and path-laying.

Martyn Stephens said: “This project has taken a number months to pull together but this week sees the garden come to life. Many different partners have assisted us and we are very grateful for their time and contribution.”

Support has been received from Dobbies Garden Centre; Travis Perkins; Cole’s Nursery; Bernhard’s Nursery; Probation Trust (Community Payback); Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council and George Eliot Hospital Trust.

It is hoped that developing a colourful open space will help victims of rape and sexual assault feel as comfortable as possible while they receive care at the centre, which has been designed to make it easier for them to come forward and seek support.

The concept of a SARC is a ‘one-stop’ location where victims of rape or other serious sexual violence can receive a high quality medical and forensic response, whether or not the police are involved, and also benefit from co-ordinated follow-up care taking into consideration all their potential needs such as counselling, healthcare, welfare and safety.

A key feature of the Blue Sky Centre, typical to the SARC model, is that it is open to everyone; men and women, boys and girls. Survivors who, for whatever reason, do not want to report to police can self-refer or be referred by other agencies and receive exactly the same service depending on their needs, including a forensic medical examination.

For more information, please visit the Blue sky Centre.