Compass Centre marks 10 years of supporting sexual violence survivors
A CHARITY supporting survivors of sexual violence has marked its 10th anniversary with an event in Lerwick today (Tuesday).
The Compass Centre held a short community walk through the street this afternoon, before returning to Islesburgh for talks on the past decade of work and what is still to come.
Managing director Debbie Sangster spoke about the increased referrals the small team are responding to, and said she believed this shows people are feeling more confident locally to report incidents of sexual violence.
That comes after recent media stories about apparent rises in reports of sexual offences.
But Sangster, speaking to Shetland News after the 10th anniversary event, said there were many complex reasons as to why referrals and reports may increase.
She said it was “more complex” a picture than had been painted, and it could “only be a positive thing” if more people felt comfortable to come forward and ask for help.
Initially beginning in February 2016 as a pilot project, Shetland Rape Crisis as it was then known was officially launched in May 2016.
It became a registered charity in 2018 and moved to its current premises in Lerwick’s Hill Lane, before rebranding to The Compass Centre in 2021.
The charity experienced two major challenges over the last decade – one of which was the Covid pandemic, which put a strain on both survivors and its staff as sessions moved online.
The other was severe storm damage in early 2024, seeing them start the year without a roof and with flooding damage inside the building.
At a busy room 16 in Islesburgh this afternoon, attendees heard a poignant poem from one survivor as well as a testimony from another about the profound effect The Compass Centre had in helping them to navigate the aftermath of a sexual assault.
The charity could be life-changing, but in the past had been “life-giving and sometimes life-saving”, one trustee said.
Over 700 people have been supported over the last 10 years, and Sangster said that while that was an “incredible number” she added the charity was seeing a “significant increase in referrals”.
Sangster took over the role of managing director from Lisa Ward last July, while it was Linda Gray who initially started the service a decade ago.
She said the charity has been on a “really interesting journey” since 2016, and that it had been nice to focus on its accomplishments over the last few months.
However, she admitted in an “ideal world we wouldn’t have a job” and there would be no need for The Compass Centre.
Speaking earlier in the event, Sangster said it was difficult to try hold a celebration for a charity dealing with such serious subject matter.
Afterwards, she highlighted that it was nice to focus on the work the tightknit team of staff have done to support survivors of sexual violence in Shetland.
“Certainly for a small charity like us, it’s a big milestone,” she told Shetland News.
“I’m really proud of the team because we’ve been growing year on year, and we have not stayed still.”
She said her team “could not have done it in isolation” and said that working alongside Shetland’s other charitable organisations had “allowed the service to flourish”.
The Compass Centre also launched its new strategy at the event, which will be published tomorrow (Wednesday), showing the charity’s aims and priorities for the coming years.
Sangster said they had not changed things too drastically, adding “we don’t feel we need to”.
The overall goal is for Shetland to be free from sexual violence and where everyone can live safely.
One of The Compass Centre’s latest campaigns on this subject has been the Stand Up, Spik Oot campaign – launched last week and featuring the voices of eight local men who came forward to contribute.
Team member Ellie Ratter said they had taken the film to six of Shetland’s seven high schools, with a lot of interest from the isles’ younger generations in the calls to cut out gender-based violence.
And the charity’s work was also praised by area commander Chris Sewell, who took part in the film. Speaking at Islesburgh on Wednesday, he said he had been “honoured” to be asked.
He told The Compass Centre team that they had played a big part in making a “safer Shetland” across the last 10 years.
Reports of a small increase in rape figures locally, as well as increased referrals to The Compass Centre, were treated with caution by Sangster – who said there was more to it than just the figures.
“It’s much likely more complex than that,” she said.
“It’s complex, but it could be due to more survivors now feeling more confident to come forward.
“We would take that as a positive, because there is more confidence and more conversations being had about this.”
While The Compass Centre will help everyone who gets in touch, Sangster admitted there was an “upper limit” on how many survivors the small team can see on a weekly or monthly basis.
“It is a tricky financial landscape and we’re not the only ones in that situation,” she added.
“There is a question mark around that.”
One thing The Compass Centre is hopeful to secure some funding for is a new, accessible therapy space in its Hill Lane garden – which has already received planning permission.
She added they would “hopefully see some movement before the end of the year” but said the space itself would likely only be in place next year.
Anyone affected by sexual violence who wants to get in touch with The Compass Centre can do so by emailing contact@compasscentre.org or calling 01595 747174.
If you are interested in becoming a trustee for the charity, email contact@compasscentre.org
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