Her Majesty The Queen officially opened the new Exeter Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) on Thursday 6 February with the unveiling of a plaque. The opening of the new facility also coincided with national Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Week.

SARCs support people who have been raped, sexually assaulted or abused at any time in their life. Queen Camilla has worked in support of those who have experienced sexual violence for a number of years, and initiated the Wash Bag project in 2017, which provides essential toiletries to individuals using SARCs.

Dame Shan Morgan, Chair of the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are extremely proud at the Royal Devon to provide this vital service to people across the South West peninsula, and it was with great pleasure that we welcomed The Queen to open our new centre to highlight the important work our teams and partners do.”

SARCs are available 24 hours, 365 days a year and are open to anyone, regardless of age, sexual orientation or gender identity who may need their services.  The creation of the new Exeter centre was made possible with funding from NHS England with support from the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust through which the SARC services are provided.

The Exeter centre offers expanded, state-of-the-art facilities and is one of the first SARCs in England to meet new exacting forensic examination standards. It also offers advanced medical services, as well as specially designed therapy suites, and is a paediatric centre of excellence.

Lyndsay Howell, General Manager of Devon & Cornwall SARC said: “We work tirelessly to raise awareness of our work to help ensure that anyone who has experienced sexual harm knows that there is specialist help and support available.

Having our new centre officially opened by Her Majesty has been a great honour for all our team, and we hope this will help highlight the safe and dedicated care we provide for anyone who may need our services.”

There are also SARCs in Plymouth and Truro, providing support throughout the region. The centres can also help with sexual health information, emergency contraception and referrals to other support services if required. Access to SARC is by appointment only, and the service offers a 24-hour information line: 0300 303 4626.

For more information on Devon & Cornwall SARCs, please see: https://sarchelp.co.uk/