Restitute is a non-profit Community Interest Company that was founded in 2019 with the goal of helping third-party victims of crime. While many victims of crime prefer to refer to themselves as survivors, the lack of awareness, support and stigmatisation faced by people caring for survivors means that their needs are often misunderstood. These parents, carers, children, close friends and partners are the “forgotten victims” of crime, left isolated and unsupported. Restitute steps in to provide essential practical support to these third-party victims in Norfolk and Suffolk. 

One dimension of this service is training, which is offered to organisations that count third-party victims of crime among its users. The training offered focuses on creating an understanding of the complex demands faced by third-party victims of crime, allowing organisations to tailor their services accordingly. In this way, employers are guided towards better supporting their staff by acknowledging the difficulties faced outside of work. Restitute’s website. In the first two years of providing its services, the charity aimed to support 24 families. To date it has helped over 65. 

Funding from Suffolk Community Foundation has allowed Restitute to continue to support third-party victims of crime throughout the pandemic. With it, Restitute has kept clients in education, has supported families when they thought they would break down and has improved people’s financial and mental health across Norfolk and Suffolk. Support from Suffolk Community Foundation has allowed Restitute to carry on supporting vulnerable people in our communities at a time of national emergency.