Support the ISB11 and other Church abuse survivors

The ISB11 is a group of survivors comprised of individuals who have endured harm due to their experiences with the Church of England. Many of these survivors bravely shared their testimonies of clergy abuse during the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).

The group's name reflects its current distinct circumstance within the Church. All members are vulnerable people who were actively involved with the Independent Safeguarding Board (ISB), an organisation established by the Church to independently assess its safeguarding practices and provide a platform for those affected to submit complaints as part of the Board's review processes.

In June 2023, the Church of England abruptly disbanded the ISB, without any risk assessments or plans for supporting those affected.

Two reports, including one by clinical psychologist Professor David Glasgow — who interviewed several of the ISB11 — indicated that the Church’s decision resulted in “re-traumatisation or re-abuse" and neglected the needs of the survivors. Among those directly affected by this decision, several experienced suicidal thoughts, some required urgent mental health intervention, and all faced significant distress.

Since the disbandment of the ISB, the group has been actively seeking support and resolution for their complaints from the Church of England. However, they have not received any substantive responses from Church authorities that give them confidence that their issues will be addressed in a trauma-informed or independent manner, leaving many in extremely challenging personal situations.

All members still have significant complaints that were being prepared for independent case reviews. Eighteen months have passed with three independent reviews, yet these survivors remain at a standstill — desperately limited progress has been made to even give them viable options for their independent reviews, and there is no plan to address their needs, leaving them further traumatised.

The needs of the ISB 11 continue to escalate, and recent events involving safeguarding and the Church of England have caused heightened anxiety.

As former members of the Independent Safeguarding Board, we can no longer depend on the Church to do the right thing and support the ISB11, and we feel a moral obligation toward their care. We urgently seek your assistance in raising funds to support the ISB11 and other survivors of Church abuse, as well as to advocate for their needs.

All donations will be managed by the Victim and Survivor Advisory Council led by and entrusted to Steve Reeves MBE and Dame Jasvinder Sanghera.

Dame Jasvinder Sanghera

Steve Reeves MBE