About us
Greater Manchester Rape Crisis supports women who have been affected by rape, sexual abuse and sexual violence.
We are a specialist service rooted in Greater Manchester, with almost 50 years of experience supporting survivors, challenging silence and helping people find a way forward.
Our story
Greater Manchester Rape Crisis has been part of the Greater Manchester community since the late 1970s.
Like many rape crisis organisations, our roots are connected to the women’s movement and the belief that women affected by sexual violence deserved to be heard, believed and supported.
What began as women creating space for other women has grown into a specialist service offering helpline support, counselling, advocacy, ISVA support, group work, information and training.
The world has changed since our early days, but the need for trusted, specialist support remains. We continue to develop our work so that women affected by sexual violence can find clear information, compassionate support and choices that feel right for them.
Fifty years in Greater Manchester
A short history, from a feminist collective in 1976 to the work we do with communities today.
Starting as a collective
Women came together as a feminist collective to support women affected by sexual violence.
A room on Mount Street
GMRC became a fully-fledged organisation, working from a room loaned by Manchester’s original domestic violence helpline.
Becoming a charity
GMRC registered as a charity, giving a formal footing to work that volunteers had built.
A home at the Pankhurst Centre
The service moved to the Pankhurst Centre.
A new home
We moved to our current premises.
Support, choice and community
Providing support, information and advocacy while working with communities across Greater Manchester.
Why this work matters
Sexual violence can affect every part of a person’s life — relationships, family, work, health, confidence, safety and sense of self. Some of that shows straight away. Some of it takes years.
Specialist support changes what happens next. It helps someone make sense of what was done to them, rebuild trust in themselves, and decide for themselves what comes after. This is specialist work, and the specialism is the point.
How we work
Our approach is specialist, human and choice-led.
We are careful with language because words matter. We try to avoid jargon and explain terms where we need to use them.
We aim to offer support that is:
Safe
People should know they are in a place that understands sexual violence and trauma.
Clear
If you’re worried about someone, you can find guidance, reassurance and ways to support them.
Non-judgemental
People should not feel blamed, questioned or compared.
Choice-led
People should stay in control of what they share and what they do next.
Inclusive and accessible
People should be able to understand and use our information.
Reliable
We should do what we say we are going to do.
Our anti-racist commitment
We stand in solidarity with all women who experience racist oppression. Racism is not acceptable. We are committed to identifying and challenging racism at all levels of society, and to continually developing as an anti-racist employer, service provider and campaigning organisation.
Meet the team behind our services
Greater Manchester Rape Crisis is made up of specialist staff, volunteers and trustees with experience across counselling, helpline support, advocacy, criminal justice, operations, leadership, governance and community work. If you’re thinking about contacting us, it can help to know a little more about the people involved. These are some of the roles you may come across at GMRC.
Trustees
A voluntary board responsible for how GMRC is run
Helpline workers
Trained volunteers and staff who answer the phone
Counsellors
Qualified counsellors with specialist training in sexual violence
ISVAs
Independent Sexual Violence Advisers, who explain your legal options
Partners, communities and supporters
Working together to improve support for women
We work with other organisations, professionals and community partners to improve support for women affected by sexual violence. This may include work with health services, criminal justice partners, local authorities, community organisations, funders, universities, businesses and other specialist services.
Partnerships help us strengthen support, improve awareness and reach more people who may need us.
Funding our support services
Specialist support takes skilled people and time, and it is funded rather than free. The organisations below pay for the helpline, counselling, ISVA support and group work we offer to women across Greater Manchester.
Ministry of Justice
Manchester City Council
Greater Manchester Combined Authority
Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust
Rape Crisis England & Wales
Community Fund
Screwfix Foundation
Partner organisations
No single organisation can meet every need. We work alongside other services across Greater Manchester so that people reach the right support as easily as possible. Some of that is referring people on when another service fits better. Some is research, training and outreach into communities who might not otherwise hear about us.
We work with We Are Survivors, who support men and boys affected by sexual violence, the Pankhurst Trust and Manchester Women’s Aid, and the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre, our partner on the What Will People Say? project.
We are survivors
MWA Manchester Women’s Aid
Memberships and accreditations
GMRC is a member of Rape Crisis England & Wales, The Survivors Trust, End Violence Against Women, the Greater Manchester VCFSE Leadership Group and MACC, and is an accredited Living Wage Employer.
Stories, voices and perspectives
We work with communities and partner organisations on projects that raise awareness, challenge stigma and give survivors somewhere to be heard.
What Will People Say?
An oral history project we made with the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre and Education Trust. South Asian women who have experienced sexual violence talk about what happened when they told someone, and what happened when they didn’t. Alongside their stories are interviews with people asked to respond to what the women said.
Stories from survivors
Ayesha’s story: I felt accepted and understood
Asma’s story: Keeping connected is very important
Ayat’s story: I learned I can say no
Rida’s story: With counselling I felt heard and understood
Masooma’s story: I no longer feel detached from my body
Interviews
Interview: Dr Kelly, counselling psychologist
Interview: Afzal Khan, Labour MP for Manchester Gorton
Interview: Amna Abdullatif, Councillor for Ardwick
Interview: Dr Mustafa Baig, Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter
Interview: Dr Nasreen Mansoor, social scientist and therapist
Questions about GMRC
Here are some common questions about GMRC, our services and how we support women.
Greater Manchester Rape Crisis provides specialist support for women aged 18 and over who live in Greater Manchester and have experienced rape, sexual assault or sexual abuse.
It doesn’t matter when the experience happened. You can contact us whether it was recent or many years ago, and you don’t need to have reported it to the police to get support.
When you contact us, we’ll listen to you and help you understand what support may be available. You can ask questions and take things at your own pace.
We treat what you tell us with care and respect. We’ll explain how we protect your information and any circumstances where we may need to share information with someone else.
GMRC is a specialist service supporting women who have experienced rape, sexual assault or sexual abuse. We offer different types of support depending on your needs and can help you understand the options available to you.