In Exeter, The Queen saw how wash bags are made available to service users in a post examination room, and spoke to representatives from Boots and In Kind Direct about their partnership with SARCs.
In Exeter, The Queen opened a new purpose built Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) and visited CoLab Exeter; a multi-agency health and wellbeing hub that brings together organisations working across sectors including learning, mental health, housing and homelessness services.
The Queen has visited Exeter’s new Sexual Assault Referral Centre to tour the facilities, which include Forensic Medical Examination (FME) suites and clinical rooms, and meet staff who provide critical forensic and therapeutic care to service users.
Her Majesty met SARC employees, including the Adult and Paediatric, Therapy and Forensic Science Regulator (FSR) teams, as well as the Devon & Cornwall Police lead officer on Rape and Serious Sexual Offences.
In 2013, Her Majesty launched The Wash Bags Project. Provided to survivors after they have undergone forensic examinations, the washbags intend to represent a small gesture of comfort during a highly distressing time.
Each wash bag contains personal care items donated by Boots, including shampoo, shower gel, toothpaste, toothbrush, a comb, lip salve and a face cloth. The individual items are assembled, placed in wash bags and packed into boxes ready for shipment by volunteers, including team members from In Kind Direct’s warehousing team and fulfilment partner, TTS.
In Exeter, The Queen saw how wash bags are made available to service users in a post examination room, and spoke to representatives from Boots and In Kind Direct about their partnership with SARCs.
Later, Her Majesty visited CoLab Exeter, a multi-agency health and wellbeing hub that brings together organisations working across sectors including learning, mental health, housing and homelessness services.
On arrival, The Queen was briefed by CEO Fiona Carden about CoLab, its journey and how the partner agencies work together to support service users to build social connections. CoLab functions to reduce health inequalities and pressure on public services; and the hub assists anyone who approaches it, without requiring an appointment or direct referral.
The hub houses over 30 partner organisations and projects across primary healthcare (The Clocktower Surgery), learning, multiple disadvantages, social justice, mental health, wellbeing, women and domestic and sexual abuse, housing and homelessness, and substance misuse.
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