Break the Silence

Break the Silence Break The Silence supporting people affected by childhood sexual trauma Kate Short founded our charity in 2004 - herself a Survivor of childhood sexual abuse.

Kate worked relentlessly to help others and although Kate retired from Break The Silence in 2015, she remains a specialist advisor to the Board of Trustees and meets with new Staff who join our Team. Our staff are privileged to carry on her legacy, continuing the valuable, vital work that she started in 2004. This is a responsibility which we all take very seriously and we constantly strive to imp

rove in all that we do. As a Team we work in synergy to develop, innovate and improve the services and opportunities which we provide, supporting and assisting each other to ensure we achieve the desired results for the Clients and the organisation. As an organisation, we truly value our Staff and have created a culture to allow mutually beneficial achievement of organisational and personal goals, developing capabilities of our Staff, promoting fairness and equality. We communicate, reward and recognise so as to motivate our Staff to build commitment and enable them to use their skills and knowledge for the benefit of the organisation and our Clients. Break the Silence is a registered charity (SCO36263) and company limited by guarantee (SC341157). Although Kate retired from Break the Silence in 2015, she remains a specialist advisor to our Board of Trustees and still follows the progress of the organisation she founded in order to help others. The charity is governed by a Board of Trustees, responsible for the overall management and strategic direction of the charity. The Board comprises of a mixture of both clinical and business expertise and Survivors are represented at Board level. In addition, we have a number of sub-groups and specialist advisors that can be called upon as and when their area of expertise is required. Everyone’s therapeutic journey is unique, therefore the support that we provide has been created to be flexible so that support can be tailored to meet every person’s individual needs and priorities. All support is designed to assist Survivors to work through their trauma, move forward and improve their social well-being and psychological health. Our support will enable and support Survivors to achieve an attainable standard of living, health and family life. We aim to reduce level of distress experienced, help Clients process the trauma and make sense of what happened, be able to move forward, recover and flourish in their lives, reducing their isolation and to be able to integrate with the local community. We have a range of options to choose from and support is not time-limited.

📢 Trustees wanted Break the Silence is seeking new Trustees to help shape the future of our charity, which supports peop...
02/09/2026

📢 Trustees wanted

Break the Silence is seeking new Trustees to help shape the future of our charity, which supports people affected by childhood sexual trauma across East and North Ayrshire.🌱

We are particularly keen to hear from people with experience in:

📌 Digital and communications
📌 IT systems
📌 Finance

Trustees meet online quarterly, and remote applicants are welcome. Full induction and training in trauma and safeguarding will be provided.

This is an unremunerated role, and PVG is required.

🔗 For the full description of the role and details of how to apply, please visit our website https://www.breakthesilence.org.uk/we-are-recruiting-trustees-to-join-our-board/

Closing date: 30 October 2026.

Please share with anyone who may be interested.

27/08/2026

💜 We're so proud to share something new.

We've created a British Sign Language (BSL) translation of our video, so that deaf and hard of hearing people can access information about our service in the way that works best for them.

The video itself was shaped by our client-led advisory group, who helped us find the clearest, most accessible way to share this information. Because the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry highlighted just how difficult it can be for Survivors of childhood sexual abuse to find and access support, we wanted to make sure as many people as possible could hear our message.

The BSL translation was made with the help of the wonderful Edinburgh charity Action. We're committed to making our new website as accessible as we possibly can, and to reaching more deaf and hard of hearing people who may need us.

If you know someone who might benefit from watching this, please share it with them — you never know who needs to see this today. 💜

17/08/2026

🎥 We’ve launched a new video to help Survivors quickly see if Break The Silence is the right place for them to see support.

This video was created directly from service user feedback. Previous clients told us that information about our service should be shared in the most direct, easily accessible way - and that the core question is ‘Is this the right place for me?’ 💬

Lived experience is essential to the quality of our service delivery and front-and-centre of all that we do. That’s why this video puts Survivors’ feedback and suggestions at the heart of how we explain our service.

We’re also excited to share that we’re getting the video translated into British Sign Language (BSL) to widen accessibility further. 🙌

We would be pleased to know what you think. Does the film answer your questions clearly? 📢

👉 https://www.breakthesilence.org.uk/survivors/can-we-help-you/

Many thanks to Reverie Films for their help in developing the video.

14/08/2026

Our new Break the Silence website is now live! 🌱

We’ve included a number of changes to make it easier for Survivors, referrers, partners and supporters to find the information they need.

Here’s what’s new:

🧭 Easier navigation
We’ve organised information more clearly, with dedicated content for survivors who may wish to use our services and for stakeholders who want to learn more about our governance, policies and wider work.

💬 Clearer support options
It’s now easier to find out how to self-refer, refer a patient, or seek support for a friend or relative. You can also learn more about the support available and the types of therapy we offer.

♿ Better accessibility
The website explains how we aim to accommodate survivors across North and East Ayrshire, taking account of different ages, genders and additional needs. Our website is designed with accessibility in mind, using straightforward, trauma-informed language and accessibility-led web design.

💚 A simpler way to donate
If you’d like to support our work, it’s now easier to find information about fundraising, making a donation or leaving a legacy gift.

Visit our new website today: breakthesilence.org.uk

We provide a range of tailored, professional support options in North and East Ayrshire for people affected by childhood sexual trauma.

Our new website is now live! 🎉We’re delighted to welcome you to the new Break the Silence website.It has been designed t...
12/08/2026

Our new website is now live! 🎉

We’re delighted to welcome you to the new Break the Silence website.

It has been designed to make it easier for Survivors, referrers, partners and supporters to find clear information, to access support, and to connect with us.

We invite you to explore the new website today: breakthesilence.org.uk

We’d love to hear what you think! Leave your thoughts in the comments 👇

Address

26 Portland Road
Kilmarnock
KA12EB

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 4:30pm
Thursday 9am - 4:30pm
Friday 9am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+441563559558

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