A CENTRE supporting survivors of rape and sexual abuse received royal recognition when HRH the Duchess of Gloucester visited.

The visit to the West Mercia Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre was organised to celebrate the work of the centre which has been operating for the last 30 years.

This year the centre has moved to new and bigger premises and has opened its services to parents and children as young as five.

Jocelyn Anderson, the centre's chief executive, said: “I was proud to introduce the duchess and the civic guests to the work of the centre and to enable her to meet some of the people we have worked with during the last year.

"All the survivors who attended have recently taken part in an important project for Rape Crisis Centres, sharing their own perspectives on the impact of their experiences and what support would have been helpful for them.

"We will be using their input to shape our service and make sure it continues to be as effective as it can be in supporting survivors of sexual violence."