Our latest story profiling a grant recipient from National Grid’s Community Matters Fund 2025 (Future Skills) takes us to Leicester, and the fantastic team at Quetzal whose mission is to provide free, and inclusive, counselling, support services and outreach to empower female survivors’ recovery from the trauma of childhood sexual abuse. Our Head of Communications Luke Upton caught up with Nell Haswell-Hammond from Quetzal about how they are supporting their community.

Luke Upton (LU): Thank you for speaking to us today, can you start by telling us some more about the community you serve? And why your support is needed. 

Nell Haswell-Hammond (NH-H): Quetzal serves female survivors aged 16 and over across Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland who are healing from childhood sexual abuse. We provide a confidential, empathetic environment tailored to the unique challenges that survivors face, including PTSD, anxiety, complex trauma, and coping behaviours. Many of our clients have never spoken about their abuse or were dismissed when they did. Quetzal provides a non-judgmental space where survivors are supported in managing their mental health and processing difficult emotions linked to their trauma. We offer free, trauma-informed long‑term and crisis counselling alongside support groups, workshops, monthly drop-in sessions, and ongoing check-in calls. With 412 women currently on our waiting list, the need for our vital support is urgent.

LU: And what’s been your particular focus in recent years?

NH-H: Over the past year, Quetzal has expanded its support significantly, delivering thousands of counselling sessions and emotional support calls while embracing a holistic, person-centred approach to better meet survivors’ needs. Highlights include the impactful Week of Activism 2024, raising awareness about childhood sexual abuse, and the Healing Words Project, which uses creative writing workshops to help survivors heal, reclaim their voices, and build community. As demand grows, we are focused on diversifying our income through new partnerships, income generation models and community fundraising to ensure our survivor-led services remain strong and accessible.

LU: You’ve just received funding from the Community Matters Fund from National Grid and Localgiving. Can you tell us some more about the project it will help fund and what it aims to deliver.

NH-H: Our project, Stronger Futures, will fund a series of trauma-informed employability workshops designed to support survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) who are returning to work after a long absence due to mental health challenges. Delivered by a qualified counsellor with coaching experience, the programme includes confidence-building sessions, covering self-esteem, goal setting, career options, CV writing, and interview preparation (including mock interviews). Each cohort will also receive two follow-up support meetings and access to a single therapy session to address any specific concerns. Participants will have the chance to volunteer after the course, helping them further build confidence and workplace skills. Designed in response to client requests, this safe, judgment-free programme fills a gap by offering employability support in an environment where survivors feel understood and respected.

LU: Sounds a fantastic project, how important is this kind of funding to your organisation?

NH-H: This kind of funding is absolutely vital to our organisation, and we’re deeply grateful to National Grid and Localgiving for their support. It allows us to expand our services beyond core counselling to offer practical, trauma-informed initiatives that respond directly to the evolving needs of our clients. Many survivors of childhood sexual abuse face significant barriers to employment due to the long-term impact on their mental health, and this funding enables us to provide a supportive, empowering pathway back into the workplace. Importantly, it ensures these services are delivered in a space where survivors feel safe, understood, and free from judgment—something that generic services often can’t provide. We’re genuinely excited to deliver this project and to see the positive, lasting impact it will have on the women we support. Thank you!

LU: As we always like to ask, more money aside, what would help you most?

NH-H: Aside from funding, what would help us most is building strong partnerships and raising greater awareness. Collaborating with local organisations, businesses, and community groups would expand our reach and create more opportunities to support survivors. At the same time, raising public awareness about childhood sexual abuse and the importance of free, accessible support services helps break down stigma and encourages more people to seek help when they need it. Together, these efforts would strengthen our impact beyond just financial resources.

LU: Great, thanks for the time. Keep up the important work!

Learn more about Quetzal's work here.