A WORCESTER-based sexual abuse support centre will reap the benefits of a long weekend of live music this year.

Worcester Music Festival has announced that Worcestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (WRSASC) is its charity of the year, with all funds raised by the festival going to help the service set up a support network for children.

The free-to-attend music festival runs from September 18 to September 20 and sees around 250 live bands perform all around the city centre.

Siân Patterson, policy and sustainability officer for WRSASC, said: “We are so thrilled to be Worcester Music Festival’s charity of the year. While the money raised will obviously be extremely welcome, being part of an event we’ve watched grow and attract more and more interest every year is also an excellent way of raising awareness of what we do. A lot of people do not know we even exist and support from the festival will help enormously.”

Since 1986, WRSASC has provided a free, confidential and non-judgmental support service for individuals aged over 16 who have experienced rape or sexual abuse at any time in their lives.

Now, WRSASC is looking to expand its own counselling service to provide specialist therapeutic counselling to boys and girls aged 11 and over.

Festival chairman Ant Robbins said: “We received some very compelling applications to become our charity this year, but we felt WRSASC was the strongest. Their desire to launch a service for younger people is something we feel festival-goers will particularly support and we look forward to working closely with the charity in the coming months.”

Since the festival was launched in 2008, it has raised more than £35,000 for charity.