Steve has been attending moMENtum’s group meetings since 2018 and gives a powerful account of how vital this community of peers has been in supporting him on a journey of recovery from the trauma of childhood sexual abuse (CSA).

John Slater, Co-Director of moMENtum, explains that this sense of community and belonging is central to helping men who attend their sessions to connect and begin to open up about their experiences. CSA is a topic that is still largely taboo and not well understood, so just starting that conversation can be hugely challenging. “There’s so much shame, fear and anxiety,” John says.

And the impact of that shame and fear can be far-reaching if not addressed. John says CSA often lies behind addiction, and is a contributing factor for many of those who experience homelessness. He also cites some research estimating that 43% of men in prison have experienced sexual abuse.

moMENtum exists to provide long-term, trauma-informed support to men. There are no waiting lists and men can access the support for as long as they need it. The service is run by male survivors of childhood sexual abuse and the men they support are also closely involved in the organisation’s decision-making and the direction its groups take.  

Devon Community Foundation is pleased to have been able to support moMENtum in continuing its work through a number of different funds over the past few years. Most recently we awarded them just under £10,000 from our Men’s Mental Health Fund. This will be used to run a weekend workshop for male survivors and to embed moMENtum in other organisations in Torbay, providing training and support to help them begin conversations about CSA with the men they work with.