Case study

The Survivors’ Fund

Supported by the Ideas and Pioneers Fund, The Survivors’ Fund aims to uplift and champion survivors working for change. 
Ideas and Pioneers Fund
Organisations: The Survivors’ Fund 
Project: The UK’s first Fund for survivors of Child Sexual Abuse 
Grant amount and duration: £20,000 over 15 months 
Year awarded: 2025 
Location: East of England, UK 
Image credit: Lucy Martin

There are an estimated 11 million survivors of child sexual abuse in the UK, the majority of whom are never identified or provided support by agencies or charities. Lucy’s aim is to develop the UK’s first Fund by and for survivors of child sexual abuse. 

The Ideas and Pioneers grant will enable conversations and convenings with survivor-activists across the UK, and conversations with grant-makers, to shape the grounding principles, structure, approach and priorities of the fund. The fund aims to recognise, uplift and champion survivors who play a key role in delivering peer-support, challenging the silence around child sexual abuse and working for change.

Lucy has worked in the sexual abuse field for the last decade in a range of roles, including as an academic, fundraiser, and directly supporting survivors, including as an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor supporting survivors through the criminal justice setting. Lucy’s personal and professional experience, and networks in the sexual abuse sector makes them well placed to explore the idea for a survivor-led fund that seeks to do grant-making differently, inspired by trust-based philanthropy and international Feminist Funds. 

We are so excited to have been awarded a grant from Paul Hamlyn Foundation which will enable us to move towards setting up the UK’s first Fund led by, and for, survivors of child sexual abuse. 

As survivors, we are already creating social, cultural, and political change – from breaking the silence around child sexual abuse, to reforming the legal and policy response. Yet, we experience multiple barriers in accessing funds. 

With the support of Paul Hamlyn Foundation, we will create a new Fund designed by us and for us. The Fund will provide flexible support to nurture and sustain a thriving survivor movement, so every child is seen, safe and heard.”

Dr Lucy Martin, Founder, The Survivors’ Fund 

Find funding

  • Ideas and Pioneers Fund

    Amount: Up to £20,000
    Duration: Up to 18 months
    Deadline: The 2025 application deadline has now passed.

    We support individuals and groups who want to explore ideas for social change.