We want to provide additional support for survivors of sexual violence in Argyll & Bute during the Covid-19 crisis for the next 3 months. At present we have set up a dedicated support phone line operating Monday to Friday 9 am ? 4 pm but we know that for some survivors this doesn?t work for them. This can because ? They are unable to find a safe confidential space in their residence ? They are unable to get a time where they won?t be interrupted ? Argyll & Bute is a very rural area and many survivors do not want their family to know what they have experienced. ? Sometimes it?s hard to describe how you?re feeling out loud on the phone For all the above reasons we want to provide a live chat support line on our website to allow survivors to be able to contact us in real-time and get support. Other than Rape Crisis, there are no agencies within Argyll and Bute that provide a specialist service to survivors of rape and sexual violence. Argyll & Bute is the second largest local authority area in Scotland with a sparse population density. It is very rural and it covers 10% of the total land area of Scotland with 23 inhabited islands. This means there are additional issues for survivors living in the more rural parts, feelings of low confidence, self-esteem and anxiety can become more intensified. Being part of a smaller community typically means everyone knows everyone, feelings of being the focus of local gossip and being judged by those you face every day can surface and these attitudes make it even more difficult for survivors to come forward as the serve to silence survivors. To be able to provide the live-chat option we need to pay salary costs for an extra 20 hour post per week for the next 3 months.