Break The Silence supports people in East and North Ayrshire who have been affected by childhood sexual trauma. They also help their partners and family members.

Nearly 200 grant applications were received this year from Unity customers and Break The Silence is one of 10 organisations that were chosen by a panel of judges.

Founded in 2004 by a survivor of sexual abuse, the charity understands that every person is different and tailors its support towards individual needs.

Services are provided free of charge and funding is secured through local authority contracts, fundraising, foundations and grants like Unity’s.

The £5,000 Unity Impact Grant will help fund over 120 one-to-one counselling sessions.

Lesley Craig, CEO (operations), at Break The Silence, said: “We are committed to the support and service of others – making a positive contribution to our clients, our communities and society as a whole. 

“Our purpose is to make a profound and positive difference to the lives of those affected by childhood sexual trauma. 

“It is our greatest wish to continue the legacy of our founder and meet our responsibility to survivors by ensuring continuity of support despite the challenging economic landscape.

“Therefore, we are absolutely delighted to have been awarded a grant from Unity which supports us with this aim and which will directly contribute to the provision of professional counselling support for those in need.”

The Unity Impact Grant programme is part of the bank’s employee-led ‘Unity & Me’ pillar which empowers staff to deliver positive outcomes for colleagues, communities and the planet.

As well as the £50,000 grants programme, Unity has also awarded £30,000 to good causes in 2025, through fundraising, volunteering and charitable donations.

Joshua Meek, chief impact officer at Unity Trust Bank, said: ““We launched Unity Impact Grants last year to mark our 40th birthday and this year we doubled the amount of grant funding to £50,000.

“We were highly impressed by the quality of applications from our customers and we are proud to support the 10 successful applicants because they are all providing such vital services in their communities.

“As a social impact bank we are committed to delivering inclusive growth in communities across the UK, that’s why the Impact Grants programme aims to support customers with funding they need.

“We will continue to build on this momentum to support our customers in making a positive difference.”

The other successful recipients of the Unity Impact Grant are Women’s Aid In Luton, North Sea Conservation, Orange Bow CIC, The Twisting Ducks Theatre Company, In Your Space Circus Ltd, Green Futures Greater Grimsby, Birmingham Playcare Network, Health Psychology Management Organisation and The Canley Community Centre.