At St Edmundsbury Cathedral, we want to respond well and support anyone who has experienced abuse. We want to create a culture of listening, transparency and respect that makes it safe for victims and survivors to disclose.
We will always take safeguarding concerns seriously and ensure that they are acted upon appropriately, transparently, with accountability and in a timely fashion.
Read below to find out more about our commitment to responding well to victims and survivors and support available.
Our Cathedral Safeguarding Officer is Tanya Dawson. Contact her at tanyadawson@stedscathedral.org, 01284663440 or 07736994036.
St Edmundsbury Cathedral is committed to the Responding Well to Victims and Survivors of Abuse policy. The policy was co-developed by the Church of England National Safeguarding Team alongside victims and survivors.
Responding Well to Victims and Survivors of Abuse sets out the requirements and good practice advice for Church Bodies on developing healthy cultures, which prevent harm from taking place and ensure disclosures can be made safely when harm does occur.
An easy-read summary of the guidance is now available on the Church of England website here, or accessible by clicking on the picture on the right.
Watch videos summarising the policy here. The videos Recognising and Disclosing Abuse and Support Options are designed for victims and survivors to inform them about the options available for support to them. If you think this might be you, please make sure you are in a safe space as you watch.
Safe Spaces is a service for victims and survivors of church-related abuse.
Accessing Safe Spaces is free, independent, and confidential from the church.
It is for anyone who has experienced abuse in relation to the Church of England, the Church in Wales, or the Catholic Church of England and Wales.
If you have been affected, however long ago, Safe Spaces can provide you with support. You do not have need to have told the police or the church authorities, and you do not have to still be involved with the church.
Safe Spaces provide a range of help, including advocating with authorities and other agencies, giving emotional support, providing information (including information on church and police procedures), understanding your needs and working together on individual support plans.
Contact them by calling 0300 303 1056 (Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9am-9pm; Saturday, 9am-1pm; Sunday, 1-5pm; answerphone available outside of opening times), by using their live chat facility or by emailing safespaces@firstlight.org.uk.
Make a referral for someone else or yourself to Safe Spaces.
The Church of England’s Interim Support Scheme offers immediate help and support to survivors whose life circumstances are significantly affected by the abuse suffered, and the response to it. From 1 October 2026 the provision of support will change to the Survivors Support Fund, read about this here.
MACSAS supports women and men who have been sexually abused, as children or adults, by ministers, clergy or others under the guise of the Church. They support both Survivors who have remained within their Christian communities and those who have left.
Survivors Voices is a survivor-led organisation that runs peer support groups for victim-survivors of all kinds of abuse, including faith-based abuse. It has a newsletter and other special events for survivors of abuse experienced in churches and other faith-based communities.
Action on Spiritual Abuse (formerly Replenished Life) is an independent charity that provides practical advice and support for those who have experienced abuse and trauma within faith and faith organisations, providing a range of options.
Thirtyone:eight is a leading independent, non-denominational Christian safeguarding charity providing a wide range of support to over 10,000 organisations across the UK. They exist to help create safer places for all, including an open-access helpline.
Look at our support page for resources to help in other situations.