A REDDITCH charity which supports victims of crime has notched up another success after appealing for sponsorship, writes Helen Clarke.

In October, Redditch Victim Support put out a plea for both companies and members of the public to sponsor desperately needed volunteers.

And the call for donations was answered by people throughout the town. The charity now has 10 additional volunteers thanks to the sponsorship scheme.

And this is not the only success the charity has had this year, as it has also had its 200th referral to the Home Security Project.

The project is a joint partnership between the charity, police and the probation service, where victims of crime in the home have their properties assessed and items such as door locks and bolts, spy holes and chains fitted free of charge.

Within the last year, Redditch Victim Support has also given out 70 personal alarms to people, the money for which was raised by the group's fund-raising.

Commenting on a highly successful year for the charity, Redditch co-ordinator Marion Chambers said: "We're extremely pleased with what has been achieved, particularly with the amount of sponsorship we have received to cover the cost of volunteer expenses.

"I feel everything which has been done has been extremely positive and we have another three volunteers doing their training at the moment.

"All the volunteers have been wonderful, especially as it has been quite a difficult year. The charity is changing from operating on a district basis to a Worcestershire area basis so a lot of changes are expected."

For details about volunteering or to make a donation, call Marion Chambers on 66462.