Men living in the shadow of childhood abuse are being urged to seek help from a new group.

Kirklees branch of Victim Support is setting up the self-help group for male survivors of sexual and physical abuse after Kirklees Council awarded it a £2,760 grant yesterday.

Workers at the charity say they get several calls a week from men trying to live with the trauma of being abused as children.

"It's something that's needed for men right across the district and there's nothing else like it in Kirklees," said Dominic McClean, co-ordinator for Victim Support in North Kirklees.

"It's a very difficult area and some men might never have spoken about the abuse to anyone. We get calls from men who are really suffering but there is no support group to refer them to.

"There seem to be several organisations for women but nothing for males who have suffered sexual abuse from both men and women.

"It's something that stays with you for life and it's a very sensitive area.

"Men often contact us in their mid to late 20s, saying they can't ignore it any more.

"They're finding that it has affected their ability to have a sexual relationship and many men turn to drink or drugs.

"We want to be able to offer them a lifeline. The support group will give them a chance to speak to other people and realise they're not alone."

Organisers are hoping to get the group operating by May and can offer short-term counselling for victims in the meantime.

"The hardest part for men is recognising that they are a victim in the first place," said Mr McClean.

"Many cut off their feelings for a long time but it deadens them and they're not really coping.

"We want to hear from men who might be able to get some help from the group.

"We want to reassure people that there is something for them and the group will give them a chance to do something about it.

"It's a much more common problem than people imagine and we get regular calls from men who really need help."

The project has received funding from the Victim Support organisation as well as £1,000 from Calderdale and Kirklees Health Authority and the Probation Service. The funding will pay for a worker to run counselling sessions.

"We should have enough funding to keep the project up and running for a year," said Mr McClean.

"Hopefully by then we'll have hard facts and figures to convince other agencies that this is a real problem and something that needs to be continued."

Anyone who would like more details about the support group should contact him on 01924 476622.

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