Battens Charitable Trust, established in 1985 and administered by Battens Solicitors, supports charities and charitable purposes in Somerset, Dorset, and their adjoining counties. The Trustees graciously agreed to donate £300 to STARS Dorset in February to help us in guiding survivors on their journey of recovery.

This grant will be used to purchase items to fill self-soothe bags to be distributed to our Children and Young People (CYP) clients; these self-soothe bags contain tools including sensory toys, scented toiletries (e.g., bath bombs or hand creams), and a wellbeing journal to enable the use of grounding techniques like the 5-4-3-2-1 method to manage challenging trauma symptoms such as dissociation or panic attacks.

If you would also like to contribute to our self-soothe bag initiative to benefit the wellbeing of youth impacted by sexual violence, please visit our Donations page to give, or bring/post any unopened toiletries to our support centres — visit the Contact Us page for the addresses.

We’re so grateful for the Battens Charitable Trust’s continued support, empowering us to provide the most comprehensive care to the young people in our services.