UK announces £500,000 to help victims of terrorists

Extra support and advice offered for traumatised witnesses to terrorism

The UK Home Office has announced funding to help terrorism victims. Suzanne Plunkett / Reuters

The UK is investing £500,000 ($651,527) to improve services for victims of terrorist offences at home and abroad.

Four organisations are going to share the funding, which will mean one provider offering 24-hour support.

The Home announced the outlay on Tuesday after the initiative was launched in March following a string of terrorism incidents in London.

Victim Support, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, Cruse Bereavement Care and the Peace Foundation will each receive £125,000 to provide advice and support to those affected by terrorist attacks.

"I am determined to make sure that victims of terrorism receive the support they deserve, as soon as they need it," Home Secretary Priti Patel said.

"This new funding is so important to provide more care and specialist advice to those up and down the country who have suffered trauma as a result of terrorism."

Victim Support will run a 24-hour assessment service, which will ensure each person receives the help they need.

"We know for those affected, terror attacks can have a significant and often life-changing impact," said Diana Fawcett, chief executive of Victim Support.

"Support is vital from the immediate aftermath of an incident, and we welcome this funding that will enable us to further strengthen the range of specialist support services that we provide to survivors."

Victims will now be able to receive specialist clinical mental health screening and therapy from the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust.

"We are pleased this funding will enable us to offer vital specialist care and support to people who have been affected by a terror incident," the trust's chief executive, David Bradley, said.

"We know people are resilient but traumatic events can have a lasting impact – we want to help people who may be struggling to cope and who may benefit from professional mental health support."

Witnesses to deaths and first responders to the injured will now be able to access specialist support through Cruse Bereavement.

"This vital funding will enable us to provide expert bereavement support to victims of terrorism, immediately at the scene and long term," said Steven Wibberley, chief executive of Cruse Bereavement Care.

"This is a crucial step forward to recognise the complex needs of those affected by such traumatic events."

The Peace Foundation’s UK-wide service will focus on providing a long-term peer support network for victims of terrorism, connecting them to others who have had similar experiences.

The initiative is part of the Home Secretary's efforts to improve support for victims of terrorism and follows a review of the support currently available.
Plans for new funding were initiated after February's terror attack in Streatham, south London, in which two people were stabbed, while in June three people were killed in another incident in the English city of Reading.

Last year, convicted terrorist Usman Khan was killed by police after he carried out an attack near London Bridge that left two people dead.