“Our supporters raise money and awareness for us in so many fun and creative ways – scaling mountains, walking thousands of miles, organising board game events, or simply eating a whole lot of cake.”
#TeamSurvivors make a real difference to the lives of the boys, men, and non-binary survivors of sexual violence. Check back here for updates on everyone’s fundraisers!
Ride for Team SurvivorsUK in the London to Brighton Cycle Ride 2025
Take on the iconic 55-mile city-to-coast challenge on Sunday, 14 September 2025 and help ensure that no survivor need struggle alone.
By signing up to Team SurvivorsUK for this year’s bike ride you can expect:
⭐ A 55-mile ride through stunning scenery, finishing off at Brighton seafront
⭐ Pre-event support, including training tips and help to get fundraising
⭐ An amazing, supportive atmosphere, with water stops en route, mechanical support and a medal at the finish line
⭐ You’ll be helping to fund our vital services and make a real difference to the lives of male, trans and non-binary survivors, as well as their loved ones.
Whether you’re a seasoned cyclist or taking on your first big ride, this is a beginner-friendly way to get active, soak up the scenery, and raise funds to help us continue to change the lives of survivors for the better. We only have a few places left, so sign up by 8th August.
Looking for inspiration for your next fundraising challenge? Want to sponsor someone taking on a challenge for SurvivorsUK?
Everyone’s reasons for fundraising are different. Here are just a few examples of what some of our amazing fundraisers have done or are doing in order to raise awareness of male rape and sexual abuse and help us continue our vital work.
Whether you are challenging yourself to something extreme or not, or planning an event and would like to discuss your ideas or need some info materials to share with your friends, please contact us at
Creating an online fundraising page only takes a few minutes to set up and is a quick way to tell the world about your challenge, collect money and manage your fundraising.
Your fundraising page also gives your supporters the opportunity to Gift Aid their donations and this means we can claim an extra 25p for every £1 they give from the government.
1:1 chat sessions with trained support workers, in confidence.
We are here for any man, boy or non-binary person who has ever experienced unwanted sexual activity (such as words, images or touch). We are also here for loved ones supporting a survivor in their lives.
To learn more about our privacy and confidentiality policy click here.
SurvivorsUK offers professional training on providing services to male survivors and the impact of sexual abuse and rape on men and boys. We offer this training to individuals and organisations at competitive rates from our premises in East London or, depending on numbers, at a rented space nearby.
To make a booking please complete the booking form and email it to [email protected], or call 020 3598 3898.
Upcoming Training Events
Bespoke Training
Depending on availability, we may be able to offer bespoke training packages to organisations at your premises.
Trainer: Dr Katherine Cox
Lunch provided.
Rates
Large organisations £150 per person (or £120 pp for 3+ bookings)
Small organisations or individuals £100 per person (or £75 pp for 3+ bookings)
When I was a child, 40+ years ago, and long before then, sexual abuse and assaults on children and adults in lots of communities was brushed under the carpet, put aside. You were told that you’d be punished if you speak out, no one would believe you. In many cases, if you told anyone, you’d be called a liar. We read of this all the time, we hear of it on the news, see it on social media, and lots of us have been through it ourselves. Including myself.
My mental health has been really poor for much of my life, and it’s only as an adult, having loads of counselling that unravelled why, that I learned the meaning of the trauma which I carried through life.
An additional sexual assault that I experienced as an adult several years ago really set me back. I even questioned why I was put on earth. Was there any point in carrying on? I’m only here to be used and hurt.
I engaged in various therapies, and quite a few admissions to psychiatric wards. Although I was supported, I never felt that, as a man, I was taken seriously by anyone. In my head, and what I’d read, it was women and children who were properly supported, and had refuges and helplines to call, specifically for them.
I was browsing on the web one day, I can’t remember when. I came across a charity that was boys/men specific. That charity was SurvivorsUK. I looked through the information on the pages, and felt almost a belonging. Something that was there for ME.
Shortly, I contacted them, I didn’t say or need much at that time, but it was the way I was treated and the way the communication was dealt with that made me feel understood. So very gentle, kind and empathetic. Reading through other men’s survival stories inspired me to share mine, and I wrote my blog. It was published. My story was out there. This empowered me massively, and I thought that other victims of my abuser may see my story and not feel alone anymore, and would know they are believed. It also gave me a feeling of being worthwhile, knowing other men might read my story, and get strength to speak out themselves.
Then, the decision came to do more, to set up a fundraising campaign, something that I was good at. I hate running, I’ve got terrible social phobia, and don’t do much other than walk my dog! A light bulb moment! I thought…I could walk my dog 10 miles and hopefully raise some money for Survivors UK. I contacted the charity and I opened a JustGiving page. The journey had begun.
During the first week, it became more than a walk with my dog. A friend wanted to join me, then other friends wanted to join me. It was getting bigger.
The actual walk was about 4 weeks away from the start of the fundraising campaign, so I thought I could do something in the meantime that would raise extra funds. Now, I’m good at making welsh cakes! So, yes, I posted on social media that I was making welsh cakes to raise funds for SurvivorsUK. I thought I’d try to raise £300 by doing it, and that was the target. Well, the response was amazing. I was almost continually in the kitchen baking cakes, which I was selling for £1 per pack of 6. People placed orders from far and wide. They not only paid for the cakes, but also donated too, in most cases much more than I would have expected, and the awareness was growing too, of the work that SurvivorsUK do. I live in a small Welsh community, where people speaking out about such issues as sexual assaults is almost unheard of. What I was doing was smashing that stigma, and raising money.
People offered to support me, wanted to know more about SurvivorsUK and seeing all the posts on my social media page was overwhelming. I would never have believed I’d get this response.
To date I made over 240 packs of welsh cakes (around about 1,250 individual cakes) and as the days and weeks went by, the donations kept pouring in. They came from all sections of my community, from other places in the UK and also a donation from across the pond in the US. Local businesses, an MP, doctor and my psychologist gave to my appeal!
The day of the walk had arrived. There were four of us that walked 10 miles, waving a bucket through the community, proudly wearing our WeSeeYou t-shirts. People were stopping us, waving, and the weather was fabulous. We raised almost £80 on the walk with our little bucket, but the majority of funds were made via JustGiving, and money that people kept giving to me. The day after the walk, a local pub offered to double the amount, and gave us another £80!
Because of my continuous campaigning and having followed my journey, a local radio station invited me to be interviewed. Now, being quite a shy, withdrawn person, the thought of this terrified me, but knowing the reason why I was doing it I couldn’t turn this opportunity down. The interview went really well – although I nearly passed out when I was told “14 seconds to going live on air!”
To date, today, as I write this, we’re on our way to raising £1,400, and donations have still been promised, and also the radio interview may hopefully raise the level too.
What, though has made the biggest impact, has been the support I have received and the fact that now nearly everyone knows about SurvivorsUK in my local and wider community. This will hopefully reach boys and men who do struggle and need support. Much awareness has been raised. It’s also given me a purpose, and aided my recovery loads. I think my ‘calling’ (once my recovery and treatment is done), is fundraising, for causes close to my heart, and hopefully that will make lives better, for everyone, including male survivors of sexual abuse and assault.
Paul
Steven
Meet our fundraiser Steven!
Being a male survivor of childhood sexual abuse, I know what it’s like to carry the pain alone, so when I found out about the fantastic work SurvivorsUK do supporting male sexual abuse and assault victims and also challenging the stigma, I knew I needed to do my bit to help.
It hadn’t been long since I’d started to open up and speak freely about being a survivor, so I was still quite nervous but knew I needed to do something that would create a talking point in my community. I didn’t expect to raise much money, so I had to make sure I could at least raise awareness of male survivors and the amazing work that Survivors UK do, and I decided to shave my beloved beard. My beard is a huge part of me, I use it as a mask and it gives me great comfort to hide behind it on my bad days, so it was a tough decision to make! I also chose to shave for a symbolic reason too: I made the connection between society pairing a big bushy beard with a strong man, so I was showing that I was no less of a man just because I’d lost my beard, just like male survivors are still men despite being victims to sexual abuse and assault.
The response I got was overwhelming, donations started coming in, I received messages of support and was even contacted by a local paper and BBC Radio Newcastle. I had gone from nervously letting out my biggest secret, to being interviewed by journalists in a matter of months! I couldn’t have asked for a better response to my first fundraiser for SurvivorsUK, I raised some cash and a whole load of awareness about an issue close to my heart.
We are currently organising a family fun day which actually started as a few stalls and has grown fast…the original idea was to have a raffle, tombola, cake sale and jumble sale but again the response from my local community has been unbelievable, and so far we have been donated 3 bouncy castles and assault course, face painting and glitter tattoos, first aiders with an ambulance and paramedic car and a DJ. Some other local charities and organisations will also be in attendance to show their support and services including Victims First Northumbria, Samaritans, Northumbria Police and “Making the Invisible, Visible – A Photographic Exhibition” by Shatterboys UK and Shattergirls UK. So a few stalls has turned into a whole family fun day and awareness event. We have been emailing local businesses and attractions and have had some amazing prizes donated to our raffle. I have also had an interview with a local paper who will be publishing an article about the event nearer the time and I had an interview with a local community radio where I spoke about the event, SurvivorsUK and my experiences of living with the effects of childhood sexual abuse.
So what can I say? Through it all the biggest surprise to me is that although sexual abuse and assault can often be considered a taboo subject, when people are given the opportunity, the community really pulls together and shows their love and support, and for that I can’t thank them enough.
Steven
Steven
Meet Our Fundraiser Steven!
Like other countless survivors of male sexual abuse, I have spent a huge amount of time trying to make sense of what happened to me. I have put myself through many emotional states of mind – from blaming myself, anger, hate and feeling betrayed to eventually finding some kind of acceptance. The path to acceptance has been a long and difficult one to tread, but finally I feel I am getting closer to where I want to be at this point in my life.
The one thing which has helped me to find my way has been my involvement with SurvivorsUK. I was directed towards the charity during a chance conversation whilst enjoying a meal with friends from the LGBT+ Leather community. At the time, I was preparing to become a candidate for the Mr Leather UK contest 2018 and was looking to find a way of making my campaign and title year meaningful. I had no idea that such a charity as SurvivorsUK existed until I was enlightened by a friend (Leighton De Burca). As soon as he mentioned this incredible cause, I knew that I wanted to become involved and help raise funds for them
The first difficult decision to overcome was deciding how I would be able to raise funds. Along the way I had many wonderful and exciting ideas including: running a marathon in my leather gear (may cause sudden death), abseiling down the side of the i360 in Brighton dressed in leather gear (bureaucratic issues and serious chafing) or cycling from Lands End to John o’ Groats in leather gear (restriction issues when needing free moving legs to turn the peddles)… and so the thought process went on. Finally, I decided on the more sedate idea of inviting friends for dinner and charging them for the privilege of sampling my gourmet delights. This was a successful plan and a fun way of entertaining friends whilst generating the much-needed funds for SurvivorsUK. To date I have hosted three dinner parties.
Another very successful idea was a charity leather sale that I hosted at Compton’s of Soho. I could not have pulled this event off without the help and dedication of many friends and generous contributors. The event consisted of a leather clothing sale, a raffle with some amazing prizes (donated by businesses in London and Brighton) and an auction made possible with the donation of a custom-made leather outfit, created specially by Spitfire Leather. I may need a little more work on my auctioneering skills before the next attempt; however, the evening was a huge success, tying in nicely with the monthly London Leather Social and highlighted the enormous generosity of the LGBT+ community.
I am currently attempting my next fundraising idea and I’m discovering that there is an art to candle making! I thought I would experiment with the idea of creating leather scented candles to sell to my friends within the leather community, but I’m having one or two issues. I’ve acquired all of the elements necessary to make candles, but combining them and creating a quality product has been a little tricky. Firstly, the leather scent smells a little like crude oil and I ordered rather a lot of it! Secondly, the soya wax doesn’t seem to melt properly, causing the flame to drown… and the final hurdle is the black wax dye, which has created a slushy grey colour wax. Of course, all good things come to those who wait, so I’ll carry on with the experimentation and, who knows, I may well have a saleable product within the next decade or so.
As well as raising essential funds, I’ve attempted to provide promotion as possible. I’ve been helping to raise awareness at various Pride events throughout the year by sporting a SurvivorsUK T-shirt and arming myself with literature for those who have expressed an interest. I have also been promoting online and have been overwhelmed by the many messages of support and encouragement. Several people have contacted me to enquire about the support that SurvivorsUK provides and I’ve encouraged them to contact the charity to find out more.
A highlight for me this year was a meeting I had with the guys at SurvivorsUK HQ. It was incredibly interesting and informative to meet the team who run this valuable organisation. I gained a huge insight into the day-to-day running of the charity and it really brought home to me how essential their fundraisers are. Given that SurvivorsUK is a fairly small charity, I was incredibly grateful for the resources they were able to provide in order to further my promotion and fundraising. Every member of staff was welcoming and incredibly grateful for the work I have done so far and I left the offices feeling humbled and motivated to move forward with the projects I have lined up.
My aim is to carry on working with the charity after my year as Mr Leather UK finishes. I now feel I have the momentum to generate even more support from the LGBT+ and wider communities. I plan to carry on representing Survivors UK at various Pride and other events and hope to get others on board to help me in my quest. This charity runs on a limited budget with very little government funding, so it’s up to us, the fund-raisers, to work hard to help ensure this lifeline expands and continues to provide the valuable support that it has been providing to victims of male sexual abuse since they were founded by Martin Dockrell and Richie McMullen back in 1986.
Chloë
London Marathon 2018: Introducing Our Amazing Runner Chloë!
At the end of April 2018, I’m following in my partner Clare’s footsteps, all 84,389 of them, by running the London Marathon for SurvivorsUK and hopefully reaching 2 important goals. As a runner, I’d love to get a personal best of 3hrs 30mins and as a supporter, I’d like to raise enough money to keep SurvivorsUK’s group therapy going.
I’m running for SurvivorsUK because I’ve supported friends who are survivors, both male and female, and seeing the lack of help available for men shocked me. The gap in both services and public understanding is huge and I’m not trying to be contentious in saying that SurvivorsUK is harshly underfunded for its vital work. Between 13 and 14% of sexual abuse trials are for male survivors, yet the only national charity for these survivors will receive only 2.7% of the government funding for 2018/19, with the rest going to services for women. All these services do essential work, but I want to help where the help is most needed.
It doesn’t come up much in everyday conversation, I tend to blather about my cat, board games or roller derby more, but I try to counter myths and misinformation about male sexual abuse when it comes up. Supporting friends in coming through their experiences has had a profound effect on me and made me passionate about helping people access the services they desperately need as soon as possible – no-one should have to face this alone.
So in the bleak midwinter I’ll be picking up my training, swapping mulled wine for mild whines and braving the cold to prepare for the marathon. You don’t have to head outside though – all I’d ask of you is to sponsor me if you can see the value of SurvivorsUK’s work, and maybe spread the word if you know anyone else who’d like to support them.
Chloë
Clare
Meet Our Marathon Runner Clare!
I came to running in a roundabout way. I’d recently been discharged from hospital following a mental breakdown. I needed something to occupy myself, and my very supportive and athletic girlfriend suggested we go for a run. I was slow at first, but running quickly became the way I found peace with my body and calm in my mind.
I needed it. My best friend had raped me at the start of that year, and that was what led to the breakdown. He had supported me while I was recovering from the trauma of being sexually assaulted as a teenager, so it was even more of a betrayal.
I went through a lot of turmoil, and it was only really with the help of a dedicated charity – Rape Crisis – that I started being able to make sense of my life again. The first time I attempted to run a marathon, therefore, I ran for them, and raised over a thousand pounds. Unfortunately I did not finish, but I came out of that determined not to let the distance beat me again.
Between then and finishing the London Marathon 2017, I had my eyes opened. A good friend disclosed that he’d been sexually abused as a child; another told me about being sexually assaulted by a girl we were at college with. Both of these men were traumatised, struggling to make sense of life again, and going through exactly the same turmoil that I had. But for them, it was a lot harder to find support.
Big charities that support female rape survivors have a lot of branches. The funding for these is under attack but they still reach out to a great proportion of the country. For men, I realised, while trying to support my friends, the landscape is really bleak. This was how I came across SurvivorsUK. Around the same time, I learned that the prevalence of rape against men is much more common than many people think. These men are just as deserving of support as women, but there is so much less available to them.
So I resolved that the next time I ran a race, I would fundraise for SurvivorsUK. I had given back to the charity who saved me, and now I wanted to make sure I could help others access the same kind of support that was so life changing for me. I took on the Vitality 10k in London in 2016 for SurvivorsUK and shortly after that, they offered me a spot in the London Marathon 2017. I signed up straight away!
They were brilliant at supporting me. Even though they’re a small charity, I really felt like they’d all got behind me – seeing the faces of SurvivorsUK folk around the course kept me going. At mile 25, I was exhausted. I’d hit the wall and I had nothing left, and I heard someone in the crowd – as I discovered when everyone met me at the finish line, it was Andy, the CEO – yelling my name and cheering for SurvivorsUK and that gave me the strength I needed to pick up the pace and come round the corner at Westminster feeling strong again.
So if you’re one of the lucky ones who has your own spot in the marathon this year, and you want to fundraise for a worthwhile cause, supported by a great group of really dedicated people, I definitely recommend you get in touch!
Take on the challenge of a lifetime from 10,000 ft!
Get up and go with #TeamSurvivors to make a real difference to the lives of male victims/survivors of sexual abuse.
When I was a child, 40+ years ago, and long before then, sexual abuse and assaults on children and adults in lots of communities was brushed under the carpet, put aside. You were told that you’d be punished if you speak out, no one would believe you. In many cases, if you told anyone, you’d be called a liar. We read of this all the time, we hear of it on the news, see it on social media, and lots of us have been through it ourselves. Including myself.
My mental health has been really poor for much of my life, and it’s only as an adult, having loads of counselling that unravelled why, that I learned the meaning of the trauma which I carried through life.
An additional sexual assault that I experienced as an adult several years ago really set me back. I even questioned why I was put on earth. Was there any point in carrying on? I’m only here to be used and hurt.
I engaged in various therapies, and quite a few admissions to psychiatric wards. Although I was supported, I never felt that, as a man, I was taken seriously by anyone. In my head, and what I’d read, it was women and children who were properly supported, and had refuges and helplines to call, specifically for them.
I was browsing on the web one day, I can’t remember when. I came across a charity that was boys/men specific. That charity was SurvivorsUK. I looked through the information on the pages, and felt almost a belonging. Something that was there for ME.
Shortly, I contacted them, I didn’t say or need much at that time, but it was the way I was treated and the way the communication was dealt with that made me feel understood. So very gentle, kind and empathetic. Reading through other men’s survival stories inspired me to share mine, and I wrote my blog. It was published. My story was out there. This empowered me massively, and I thought that other victims of my abuser may see my story and not feel alone anymore, and would know they are believed. It also gave me a feeling of being worthwhile, knowing other men might read my story, and get strength to speak out themselves.
Then, the decision came to do more, to set up a fundraising campaign, something that I was good at. I hate running, I’ve got terrible social phobia, and don’t do much other than walk my dog! A light bulb moment! I thought…I could walk my dog 10 miles and hopefully raise some money for Survivors UK. I contacted the charity and I opened a JustGiving page. The journey had begun.
During the first week, it became more than a walk with my dog. A friend wanted to join me, then other friends wanted to join me. It was getting bigger.
Skydive
Skydive
When I was a child, 40+ years ago, and long before then, sexual abuse and assaults on children and adults in lots of communities was brushed under the carpet, put aside. You were told that you’d be punished if you speak out, no one would believe you. In many cases, if you told anyone, you’d be called a liar. We read of this all the time, we hear of it on the news, see it on social media, and lots of us have been through it ourselves. Including myself.
My mental health has been really poor for much of my life, and it’s only as an adult, having loads of counselling that unravelled why, that I learned the meaning of the trauma which I carried through life.
Then, the decision came to do more, to set up a fundraising campaign, something that I was good at. I hate running, I’ve got terrible social phobia, and don’t do much other than walk my dog! A light bulb moment! I thought…I could walk my dog 10 miles and hopefully raise some money for Survivors UK. I contacted the charity and I opened a JustGiving page. The journey had begun.
During the first week, it became more than a walk with my dog. A friend wanted to join me, then other friends wanted to join me. It was getting bigger.
My mental health has been really poor for much of my life, and it’s only as an adult, having loads of counselling that unravelled why, that I learned the meaning of the trauma which I carried through life.
Then, the decision came to do more, to set up a fundraising campaign, something that I was good at. I hate running, I’ve got terrible social phobia, and don’t do much other than walk my dog! A light bulb moment! I thought…I could walk my dog 10 miles and hopefully raise some money for Survivors UK. I contacted the charity and I opened a JustGiving page. The journey had begun.
During the first week, it became more than a walk with my dog. A friend wanted to join me, then other friends wanted to join me. It was getting bigger.
My mental health has been really poor for much of my life, and it’s only as an adult, having loads of counselling that unravelled why, that I learned the meaning of the trauma which I carried through life.
Then, the decision came to do more, to set up a fundraising campaign, something that I was good at. I hate running, I’ve got terrible social phobia, and don’t do much other than walk my dog! A light bulb moment! I thought…I could walk my dog 10 miles and hopefully raise some money for Survivors UK. I contacted the charity and I opened a JustGiving page. The journey had begun.
During the first week, it became more than a walk with my dog. A friend wanted to join me, then other friends wanted to join me. It was getting bigger.
Ultra Challenge Series 2020
Ultra Challenge Series 2020
My mental health has been really poor for much of my life, and it’s only as an adult, having loads of counselling that unravelled why, that I learned the meaning of the trauma which I carried through life.
Then, the decision came to do more, to set up a fundraising campaign, something that I was good at. I hate running, I’ve got terrible social phobia, and don’t do much other than walk my dog! A light bulb moment! I thought…I could walk my dog 10 miles and hopefully raise some money for Survivors UK. I contacted the charity and I opened a JustGiving page. The journey had begun.
During the first week, it became more than a walk with my dog. A friend wanted to join me, then other friends wanted to join me. It was getting bigger.
Then, the decision came to do more, to set up a fundraising campaign, something that I was good at. I hate running, I’ve got terrible social phobia, and don’t do much other than walk my dog! A light bulb moment! I thought…I could walk my dog 10 miles and hopefully raise some money for Survivors UK. I contacted the charity and I opened a JustGiving page. The journey had begun.
During the first week, it became more than a walk with my dog. A friend wanted to join me, then other friends wanted to join me. It was getting bigger.
Then, the decision came to do more, to set up a fundraising campaign, something that I was good at. I hate running, I’ve got terrible social phobia, and don’t do much other than walk my dog! A light bulb moment! I thought…I could walk my dog 10 miles and hopefully raise some money for Survivors UK. I contacted the charity and I opened a JustGiving page. The journey had begun.
During the first week, it became more than a walk with my dog. A friend wanted to join me, then other friends wanted to join me. It was getting bigger.
