Survivor and Victim Support
We are Compassionate and Proactive
We are compassionate and proactive to the needs and requests of those who have been physically, sexually, emotionally, financially or spiritually harmed.
We Strive to Respond Well
We are committed to “Responding Well to Victims and Survivors of Abuse”.
A summary of the guidance that we follow is now available on the Church of England website.
Support Resources and News
If you or someone you know, have been affected by abuse within the church and you would like information about accessing appropriate support please find information on our Resources page.
There are also secular support services available.
Survivor Support Schemes
There is a Survivor Support Fund available, until the Redress Scheme goes live. If you require any support or for more information, please contact Gemma Marks-Good on 01522 504070 or email gemma.marks-good@lincoln.anglican.org.
Please click on each of the following 2 tabs for more information:
A new Survivor Support Fund launched today. It is offers short- to medium-term support to people who have experienced Church of England-related abuse. For more information, please visit the Fund webpage and its FAQ page.
This fund is separate to the Church of England’s national Redress Scheme which is expected to open towards the end of 2026. If a survivor receives money from the new Support Fund, it will not reduce or affect any payment they may later receive from the Redress Scheme.
We are grateful to everyone who shared their time, experience and expertise to support the development of this Fund, including safeguarding officers who participated in our consultation sessions over the last year.
The Interim Support Scheme is now closed to new applications. Applications received on or before 30 September will be considered using the usual process on a case-by-case basis.
Please email ssf@churchofengland.org if you have any questions.
The Redress Scheme has now been approved by Synod . Please click on the link for further details: Redress scheme update | The Church of England
Redress Church of England is the name of the Redress Scheme for survivors of Church-related abuse. The purpose of the Scheme is to acknowledge the harm caused by abuse within the Church of England and to offer meaningful recognition to survivors. It is also the Church of England’s demonstration of the tangible and practical way it can show how truly sorry it is for its past failings relating to safeguarding.
Eligible applicants to the Scheme could be offered a financial payment as well as other forms of bespoke redress tailored to their needs. This could include therapy, spiritual support and prayer, acknowledgment of wrongdoing, and/or an apology.
Survivors of Church-related abuse have provided their input into the design of the scheme, helping to ensure the Scheme is as survivor-centred as possible.
The Redress Scheme is not yet open for survivors of Church of England abuse. It will open in the latter part of 2026.
You can register to receive email notifications at the following website: redresscofe.org.
Your email address will not be shared with the Church of England.
If you require any support with your application, or would like more information about the Redress Scheme, please contact Gemma Marks-Good on 01522 504070 or email gemma.marks-good@lincoln.anglican.org.
Your email address will not be shared with the Church of England.
If you require any support with your application, or would like more information about the Redress Scheme, please contact Gemma Marks-Good on 01522 504070 or email gemma.marks-good@lincoln.anglican.org.
Reports and Reviews
Please click on each of the following 2 tabs to read the INEQE report and or the Makin Review.
If you require any support or for more information, please contact Gemma Marks-Good on 01522 504070 or email gemma.marks-good@lincoln.anglican.org.
The INEQE report on the Diocese of Lincoln has now been published. To view this report, please click here.
We would like to thank survivors for their consideration and participation; Your voices will inform our future working. We would like to use this opportunity to further encourage your engagement. If you would like to learn more about opportunities for survivor participation, please do not hesitate to be in contact with our Safeguarding Advocate, Gemma Marks-Good.
If you or anyone you are in contact with are affected by the publication of this report and want to talk to someone from our team, please call 01522 504070 to speak with our Safeguarding Advocate, Gemma Marks-Good.
If you wish to talk to someone independent from the Church of England, you will find many external agencies via this link:
The independent review by Keith Makin into the Church of England’s handling of allegations of serious abuse by the late John Smyth has been published.
If you or anyone you are in contact with are affected by the publication of this report and want to talk to someone from our team, please call 07487242910 to speak with our Safeguarding Advocate, Gemma Marks-Good.
If you wish to talk to someone independent from the Church of England, please call the Safe Spaces helpline on 0300 303 1056 or visit safespacesenglandandwales.org.uk.
The independent review by Keith Makin into the Church of England’s handling of allegations of serious abuse by the late John Smyth has been published. It is available to read here.
If you or anyone you are in contact with are affected by the publication of this report and want to talk to someone from our team, please call 07487242910 to speak with our Safeguarding Advocate, Gemma Marks-Good.
If you wish to talk to someone independent from the Church of England, please call the Safe Spaces helpline on 0300 303 1056 or visit safespacesenglandandwales.org.uk.
A Survivor’s Poem: That Girl Was Hurt
A victim and survivor of abuse – known to us as ‘Charlotte’ – has shared a poem with our diocese that is deeply moving and impactful. We want to share it so that the reality of her harrowing experience can be felt and heard. Perhaps you would like to share it further.
Please be aware that you may find this poem distressing. If you have been affected in any way, there is support and resources available by going to: Safeguarding – Lincoln Diocese
Please expand the dropdown box below to read the full poem.
That girl was hurt in more ways
Than people know
The story I hide behind my body
My screams unable to be heard or felt
The silent yell that kept inside
The fear, anger and sorrow
Building up inside of me was
Too much this girl could take
Telling him to stop
Yelling and screaming NO
—-
But it was only a whisper
That 11 year old girl
Had to deal with trauma
The silent screams at night
Some call her crazy
Some say it was her fault
No one actually believes me
No one takes me seriously
I’m screaming NOW
—-
Through this difficult time in her life
She remains too low and fragile to break
That could’ve been a stop sign
To anybody that had saw it
The distress in the 11 year old girls face
That 11 year old girl was me
And I was 12 when he had
Crossed the boundaries of my body
Through this difficult time in her life
Making her become stronger
Enough to break the silence of the trauma she faced
I used to wish I was somebody else
——
Will I fall and break
Still trying to keep all of the past
It breaks me and bitterness rings
Despair won’t stay far from me
Into the dark of night
——-
Where nothing is in sight
What will the future hold in store
Who can really say anymore
For stronger did I become
And love of hatred in plenty
For the devil I knew
Gave me the angel I am now.
See our Survivor Strategy
This is a co-produced document that will be built upon through engaging with survivors. We will also respond to changes in culture and the lived experiences within the diocese.
Engage with us…
If you would like to engage with the safeguarding work of the wider Church, or find out more about survivor engagement, please contact the Church of England Survivor Engagement Team.
If you would like to offer your time and expertise as a survivor representative to form part of the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel (DSAP), please contact our Survivor Advocate, Gemma Marks-Good.
Meet our Victim and Survivor Advocate
Gemma Marks-Good, our Diocesan Safeguarding Advocate, is a fully accredited Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA).
She has many years of experience working within high risk domestic and sexual abuse services and Diocesan/National Safeguarding Teams.
Should a referral to Gemma Marks-Good be requested, a copy of the below support letter is made available:
“I am a Safeguarding Advocate. My role is to provide practical and emotional support and assistance to victims/survivors of violence and abuse within a church context, regardless of whether the assault took place recently or in the past. Whilst I am employed by the Diocese of Lincoln, I have the role of an Independent Sexual and Domestic Violence Advocate. I recognise that it can be extremely difficult to seek support following an assault and that for some, the thought of seeking justice through the courts or any formal process is too much to cope with. Therefore, the support I can offer to you is unconditional. You do not have to be seeking a justice outcome or making a complaint or seeking civil redress to access my support. I can support you in exploring any or all of these options or just by being a listening ear and acting as an advocate to get the right support in place for you. You choose how we work together.”
The type of work I can do with you includes:
- Helping you assess any risk that you and others might be facing and then helping you to develop safety and support plans that are individual to your needs.
- Supporting you to report an assault to the police if you choose to do so.
- Supporting you in seeking civil redress or in making a complaint through internal mechanisms that address the conduct of the person who harmed you.
- Attendance with you at any police interviews, court proceedings or complaints meetings.
- Help with accessing other services such as health screening and counselling.
- Helping you understand better the criminal justice and court process.
- Helping you understand better the church-based complaint route.
- Regular and ongoing telephone contact and/or face-to-face meetings
- Helping you have your voice heard so that if your aim is to share your experience to better inform church practice or ensure better support of others, you are heard in the right forums and your anonymity and confidentiality are protected.
- Support in accessing The Redress Scheme (immediate help and support to survivors whose life circumstances are significantly affected by the abuse suffered to address immediate and urgent needs that help in the short-term to put the survivor’s life back on track).
I offer confidential and impartial advice. No information you provide will be shared without your consent unless the information you tell me suggests that there continues to be a risk of serious harm. Where there is a Police investigation I am legally obliged to share some factual information. I will discuss this with you in more detail during our first appointment and we can sign an agreement as to how I support you and how your privacy is protected.
Gemma is employed 4 days a week for the Diocese, working on Tuesdays in a similar role for the Church of England National Safeguarding Team. All engagement and support plans will consider individual needs, accessibility and information with the aim to provide the support that is most appropriate. Plans may include risk assessments, referrals and safe exit plans.
Gemma offers advice and support to the Diocesan Bishop and his Senior staff clergy and church officers about all aspects of abuse within a church context. The diocese strives to work in a trauma informed manner. All work with all people affected by abuse and trauma needs to look unlike and be opposite of abuse, otherwise it can inadvertently explicate the dynamics of abuse and cause harm.