About Us
THE LANTERN PROJECT
WHO WE ARE: The Lantern Project is a registered charity, based in Wallasey, Merseyside. Graham Wilmer, an adult survivor of childhood sexual abuse, founded the organisation, originally as Victims No Longer in October 2000. In April 2003, with the help of fellow survivor David Williams, the organisation was registered by the Charity Commission for England and Wales, and changed its name to The Lantern Project on 5 December 2003. The Lantern Project currently has 5 trustees and over 800 registered members. The Lantern Project is also a member of the Survivors Trust, which lobbies government on child protection issues.
WHAT WE DO: The organisation was set up to provide care, support and information for victims of childhood sexual abuse, domestic violence, racial abuse and bullying in Wirral and Merseyside, to help them improve their lives and the lives of their families.
Through personal understanding, peer group counselling and practical support, we are able to help victims of sexual offending, domestic violence, racial abuse and bullying learn how to come to terms with what happened to them, and how to deal with the consequences and impact of the abuse they have suffered. Our key objective is to help them make the journey from being a victim to becoming a survivor.
HOW WE WORK: We provide person-to-person counselling and practical support at our premises, or through out-reach work, and contact support by phone and e-mail. We also produce survival guides for victims of abuse, and we operate an interactive web site (http://.lanternproject.org.uk), which to date has been accessed thre million times. The web site contains over 9000 pieces of information helpful to survivors and their families, plus a message service that enables survivors to support each other. The site receives around 55,000 hits each month.
WHO WE HELP: Since the Lantern Project was established, we have provided on-going counselling and support to victims of abuse, both male and female, who have made contact with us, either through the our web site, or as referrals from local NHS GP practices, Social Services in Wirral and Merseyside, the Prison Service (HMP Buckley Hall and HMP Lancaster Castle), the Probation Service in Wirral and Rape Crisis centres. We also deliver training and presentations on abuse related issues to local Social Services, GP practices, the Prison Service in the North West and Merseyside Police.
WHO FUNDS US: Since April 2003, we have received grant funding from Neighbourhood Renewal Community Chest, Awards For All, Merseyside Expanding Horizons, Community Champions, The Gannett Foundation, Wirral Social Services, Sefton Social Services, Wirral CVS, the Salesians of Don Bosco, Abney Garsden McDonald, Wirral NHS Primary Care Trust, Merseyside Community Foundation, Government Equalities Office and private donations.
SUSTAINABILITY: We are confident that we will continue to attract the funds we need to ensure our sustainability, but all donations are very welcome!