Wellington Sexual Abuse Help service to auction vasectomy for fundraiser

Mayson Duggan (left), Fleur Fitzsimons, Conor Twyford, and Harriet Campbell-Taylor hold a banner signifying the 700 people they helped this financial year. Photo / Supplied

A Wellington sexual violence support service is auctioning off a vasectomy as part of a fundraising bid.

Wellington Sexual Abuse Help is running a Trade Me marketplace until next Wednesday auctioning items such as a vasectomy at the Wellington Vasectomy Clinic, a night's stay at the QT Museum Hotel valued at $321, and a kilo of Whittaker's chocolate.

The move comes as desperation rises for funding for the organisation.

Wellington Help is in the midst of a funding crisis which has left the organisation with less than half the funding needed to support new clients who need help.

"There needs to be funding available for under-resourced, not-for-profit agencies, who support people in what are quite often traumatic situations," Help chief executive Conor Twyford said.

"This year we are on track to see 700 people across Greater Wellington, more than twice the number we are contracted to support.

"Last year we supported 575 new people and we're facing unprecedented demand. After years of chronic underfunding, we're urgently seeking community support for this month's appeal."

The organisation presented a submission to the Wellington City Council at its Long-Term Plan hearings last month, proposing a pilot Safer City Accreditation programme to make Wellington workplaces sexual violence free.

The initiative would see local businesses work with Help, the Sexual Abuse Prevention Network (SAPN), and other agencies to ensure they have safe workplace cultures, appropriate policies, and specialist training to develop their understanding of what sexual harassment is, skills to recognise it within the workplace, and skills to address sexual harassment when it occurs.

This year council also launched the "Don't Guess the Yes" campaign, in tandem with police, Victoria University Student's Association, SAPN and others.

Don't Guess the Yes seeks to raise awareness about sexual violence through videos, posters, and social media, encouraging people to think about sexual consent.

Council has also committed to multi-year funding for Wellington Help and SAPN from the next financial year in recognition of the work they do in the community.

"While we still need to run our appeal – our fundraising target this year is $240,000 – this announcement of multi-year funding from Wellington City Council is hugely welcome", said appeal co-ordinator Harriet Campbell-Taylor.

"As public focus concern about sexual violence grows, so too does demand for our services and this is another reason why we urgently need financial support. Empowered survivors are bravely coming forward to share their stories and they are seeking help in larger numbers than ever before."

The organisation has today presented a banner to council signifying and honouring the 700 survivors they supported this financial year.

The banner, titled "700 hands up for Help", was presented to Wellington City Councillor Fleur Fitzsimons.

Fitzsimons holds council's city safety portfolio and has declared she wants to make Wellington a sexual violence-free city.

"This banner symbolises so much. While we have helped hundreds of people this year, we need to do better as a society," said Twyford.

"Like councillor Fitzsimons, we believe that any level of sexual violence is unacceptable. We all need to work together to rid sexual violence, assault and harassment from our communities. "