Who we are
Sue Lambert Trust is the leading charity in Norfolk to offer free therapeutic counselling and support services to survivors of sexual violence and abuse
Our story
The Trust’s roots go back over 40 years starting with Norwich Rape Crisis that was established in the 1980’s as a women’s collective. Sue Lambert joined because she had been sexually assaulted at the age of 16. She trained in her own time to be a counsellor and played a leading role in a string of campaigns in Norwich and Norfolk including Norfolk Says No. In 2000, MPower was set up in Norwich to support male survivors of sexual abuse. They acted as a partner organisation to Norwich Rape Crisis.
In 2007 after years of partnership working, Norwich Rape Crisis and MPower merged to form SeVA (Sexual Violence Alliance) in order to provide counselling and support for anyone affected by domestic violence and sexual abuse, through face to face counselling, a helpline and support groups.
Sue Lambert was a founder of SeVA and was the chair on their board of Trustees for almost 10 years stepping down in 2011 after being diagnosed with breast cancer, she sadly passed away in January 2013. In recognition of her contribution the board members of SeVA decided to honour her memory by changing the name of the charity to the Sue Lambert Trust, incorporating her signature into the logo.
Sue Lambert Trust’s main offices are in Norwich, they started out in a small space opposite the train station and as they expanded they moved to occupy and lease a larger building on Music House Lane which they now own. It was redesigned by LSI Architects and quantity surveyors AECOM in 2015 for free as part of a Norfolk ProHelp Scheme to ensure it met the growing need for more counselling rooms.
In 2014 a satellite office for support was set up in Great Yarmouth operating from Victim Support’s premises in Market Row. In 2019 with support of the National Lottery and national grant making organisations they moved to their own premises in King Street, Great Yarmouth where they still are today.
Demand for counselling and support provided has grown year on year with notable increases in demand after the Jimmy Saville scandal that followed his death and most recently due to the lockdowns we faced as part of the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2012-2013 we provided 1796 counselling sessions and in 2021-2022 we provided 10,500! Demand is increasing year on year and we need to continue to grow, in order to continue our support to all people that are reaching out to us when they’re ready to talk.
Our team and trustees
Meet some of the people who make us who we are.
As a charity we are governed by a Board of Volunteer Trustees who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to support our work. They collectively set the direction for the organisation, ensuring that it is working within its legal and statutory responsibilities and that it has a sustainable future. The Board delegates its oversight responsibilities to two sub committees – Finance and Performance; Quality and Safeguarding.
The current members of the Board of Trustees are:
Chair and Chair of Finance and Performance Committee – Ben Higham
Board and Finance and Performance Committee Member – Nick Heather
Board Member – David Vail
Board Member – Heidi Myers
Board and Quality and Safeguarding Committee Co-Chair – Claire Stevens
Board and Quality and Safeguarding Committee Co-Chair – Tanya Florence
The Board delegates the responsibility for the day to day running of the organisation to the CEO. The CEO is supported in their role by a team of senior managers including a Head of Counselling; Finance Manager and a Business Operations Manager.
To contact the Chair of Trustees or the CEO please email info@suelamberttrust.org
Should you be interested in becoming a trustee at the Sue Lambert Trust please see our current vacancies page which will give more information about the trustee roles we have available.
Current Trustee VacanciesWork with us
Looking for a rewarding career? We are a great charity to work for and really value the people who make us who we are.
By working for us you will have the opportunity to make a real difference to support people that have experienced abuse and to ensure they get the support they need.
Current VacanciesExperienced and Qualified Counsellors
If you are a qualified or experienced counsellor and are looking to support our client group we would like to hear from you.
we currently don’t have any vacancies for trainee placements but please do check back regularly.
More information
Safeguarding Adults and Children
Sue Lambert Trust believes that everyone should be able to live free from any form of abuse, neglect, or exploitation. The safety of everyone involved with Sue Lambert Trust is of paramount consideration when delivering our services and safety is central to our ethos.
To find out more about safeguarding, including our policies and procedures please click the link below.
Safeguarding Adults and Children