Medical Foundation awarded share of multi-million pound grant to treat torture survivors
The Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims Torture (MF), the UK’s only rehabilitation centre dedicated solely to treating survivors of torture, has been granted £193,615 to support some of its most vital services.
The grant was obtained from the Community Development Foundation Hardship Fund, part of a Government initiative that will see £16.7m channelled into third sector organisations in England delivering front-line services to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people in society that have been affected by the recession.
The Hardship Fund comes at an important time for the MF, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2010. As a charity, the MF relies primarily on individual donations to fund its work with thousands of survivors referred to its UK centres every year for medical, psychological and legal help.
As well as helping survivors to contend with the psychological and physical consequences of torture, the MF provides welfare advice and practical support in ensuring that people are able to adjust to life after enduring multiple losses, often of their family, friends, home and culture.
Jasvir Kaur, Director of Fundraising, said: “As with many organisations across the voluntary sector, the recession has had an impact on our ability to raise funds and has had a knock-on effect in adding further pressure on the people we support. We’re absolutely delighted by the support shown to us by the Community Foundation Hardship Fund. It will enable us to sustain support services for survivors of torture over the next year.”
In 2009 alone, the MF received more than 2,000 new referrals from men, women and children, many of whom had been emotionally or physically scarred through torture in countries including Iran, Turkey, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan.