HRH The Princess Royal visited Victim Support’s Lincolnshire team on Friday to see first-hand how the team helps people cope and recover after crime.

HRH The Princess Royal became Patron of Victim Support on 18 October 1989 and President on 20 November 2001.  She regularly attends national and local events, taking a close interest in our charity’s work.

The Princess Royal met staff at Victim Lincs and talked to victims who have been supported by the specialist team.  She also unveiled a plaque to commemorate her visit.

Victim Lincs works is a partnership between Victim Support and Lincolnshire Police. The service works to ensure people who have been affected by crime are kept informed of the progress of any investigation and get access to personalised, free and confidential support.

In Lincolnshire, we receive more than 14,000 referrals from the police a year, in addition to people who contact us for support directly.

Olwen Edwards, manager for Victim Support in Lincolnshire, said: ‘It was a pleasure to host the Princess Royal today and she was very interested in the work we’re doing in the county to help people who have been affected by crime.

‘Our highly trained staff and volunteers are based locally across Lincolnshire and offer free and confidential support, regardless of whether or not the crime has been reported to the police.

‘If you’ve been affected by crime you can call the team on 0300 303 0158.’

The service is funded by the Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones, who attended the visit and said the service deserved praise.

‘The work done by the team at Victim Lincs and Victim Support is making a real difference to the lives of those who have been impacted by crime.

‘The staff and volunteers are dedicated to helping victims and, while it is our aim to minimise the numbers of people who fall victim to crime, it is equally important that we do everything possible to support those who do.’