IT’S an International Women’s Day event that organisers claim will involve a lot of laughter. But for the women brave enough to immerse themselves in the freezing cold sea at Lossiemouth’s Sunrise Swim, there’s also a serious intention at its heart.

The event, which expects to see over 80 women take to the waves as the sun comes up at 6.47am, aims to provide vital support of Rape Crisis Scotland’s newest support centre. Organisers want to both send a strong message of solidarity to survivors of sexual abuse and violence and also raise vital funds to provide additional, and desperately needed, support sessions.

The event is inspired by an International Women’s Day swim in Edinburgh last year, organised by Anna Deacon and Vicky Allan, authors of bestselling wild swimming book Taking The Plunge, and body positivity ambassador Danni Gordon.

Last year, 70 women turned up for an early morning swim on Edinburgh’s Wardie Bay, and this year events are taking place across the UK, with each swimmer asked to donate to a chosen women’s charity. Other Scottish swims will take place in Shetland, Loch Tay, Oban and Glasgow.

The Moray event, organised by local outdoor swimming group Lossie Cod Heids, will focus on the local Rape Crisis centre, which opened 18 months ago and has received over 140 referrals. It has the equivalent of just one full-time support worker and the waiting list is six months long.

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In recent years, Rape Crisis Scotland has been highlighting the severe shortage of support services across the country for those who have been raped and assaulted, with waits of up to a year. Last November, the charity revealed that on a typical day 1035 survivors were waiting to access services, almost double the number of the previous year.

Bethea Robertson, development and support worker, said: “That’s really tricky when people are coming forward for support with sexual violence and issues that are very painful and deep. Sometimes people are coming forward to talk about this for the first time ever.

“We got busy straight away. I came into post in June to start up the centre and I had referrals waiting while I was still trying to find a space to work in and set up a room. When we launched in September I was already working with a couple of people because it was so desperate.”

Before the centre opened, women had to make a journey of up to two hours to reach Rape Crisis centres in Aberdeen or Inverness, which Robertson claims meant many – especially those suffering from anxiety or depression as the result of trauma – were simply not able to access help.

The centre sees mostly women as well as some men, and aims to create a safe space where survivors will always be believed and supported to tell their stories.

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“There are a few people who have gone through a rape in the last few weeks or months,” added Robertson. “But most are people who are coming forward to speak about something that happened a while ago, maybe a few years ago or people coming to talk about child abuse that happened to them.

“It’s common that people don’t speak about it and that they can wait years, if ever, to open up about what happened to them. The main reasons are the trauma that they have gone through, which can shut them down.

“They often feel guilty, and there is a sense of shame over something so violating happening. Often there is confusion, particularly if they were children when the abuse happened. Sometimes they may have been directly threatened by whoever has abused them.

“Some cope by pushing down all the emotions, so to come in and speak about it can be scary and upsetting because they are having to bring everything out again. Ultimately that is helpful and healing, but still scary.”

Particular barriers for this rural centre include increased stigma – Robertson claims that some don’t want to believe abuse happens in these beautiful surroundings – and the close-knit community, which can make it harder to report.

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For Robertson, the swim shines an important spotlight on the issue. “It feels like solidarity,” she said. “Everyone will be running in and it’s fun and exciting.

“It’s really exhilarating and a definite adrenaline rush. It also benefits physical and mental health. I think there will be a lot of laughter ... and probably some screams. It’s also about raising up women. It fits very much with the ethos of Rape Crisis throughout the years of empowering women and allowing them to step into who they really are.”

Laura Thomson, one of three women who set up Lossie Cod Heids, claimed that going for a dip at sunrise would make it “all the more magical”.

She hopes it will have lots of benefits – outdoor swimming helped her combat anxiety and stress that saw her signed off work last year. “We’re delighted to be raising money for Rape Crisis,” she said. “In Moray we see a lot of domestic violence and abuse, just as we do across the country, and indeed the globe. When you take part in a swim like this we are all in it together. It’s a leveller for everybody.”

Sandy Brindley, chief executive of Rape Crisis, said: “It’s devastating that there is still a significant amount of unmet need and of survivors having to wait to access support that we know can be lifesaving. Funding has not kept up with demand and though we are working with government to address this, public support and fundraising is invaluable. It’s incredible to see so many people out supporting their local Rape Crisis Centres.