"We piled our bags on a chair where we could see them, so I don’t understand how my purse got stolen.

“The thief got away with £5 and change, but I lost that photo of my dad and me with that big smile of his in ’93, a month before he died. I was gutted because that photo was priceless.”

These words, written by a young woman, may be familiar to you. They appear on one of a series of posters for Victim Support, letting people know how the charity can help victims of crime, witnesses, their family, friends and anyone else affected by it.

Whether the theft of a purse, an assault, burglary or murder, the service helps victims and their families through the days, weeks or years ahead with free, confidential support.

In the year to May 31, 9,602 people from the Bradford district were referred to Victim Support.

“We offer emotional support and information, and we can help with advocacy and practical support too,” says Vera Stajic, senior victim care officer.

“Often people find it easier to talk to someone who is impartial and not emotionally affected by what is going on. They want to speak to someone who understands the impact the crime is having on them.”

She adds: “We empathise with them and help them to find coping strategies. Often, what people want is reassurance.”

Another poster shows a young male who was pushed against a wall while his phone was stolen. ‘Before then, I never thought twice about walking home from work,” he writes, ‘Now I’m always looking over my shoulder.’ The posters form part of the charity’s Find The Strength campaign, launched this year to raise awareness of what Victim Support does and to encourage people to volunteer.

Depending on the needs of the individual, help is given over the telephone or through home visits. Paid staff work with specially-trained volunteers, more of which are needed.

“The type of questions people ask depend on the nature of the crime,” says volunteer Barry Clarke. “Generally, they want to know who was responsible, why it happened and whether the person has been apprehended. They often say they haven’t heard anything and want to know more – it is on their minds constantly, and often they are not sleeping because of it.”

Adds Emma Stafford, who manages a team of volunteers: “For people who already have a package of problems, a burglary or other incident can be the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

Of those referred to the charity, 95 per cent are put in touch by West Yorkshire Police, the remainder refer themselves. “We also work closely with other agencies working in areas such as domestic violence,” says Vera.

Calls to the service are also made by people who have not reported the crime to the police. Such crimes can include domestic violence, sexual violence, rape and anti-social behaviour. Staff encourage them to report the incident.

Four years ago, Victim Support made the transition from local offices, run by boards of trustees, to one national charity with ten regions, one of which is Yorkshire and Humberside. The service operates ‘victim care units’, based in Shipley, covering Bradford, Kirklees and Calderdale.

Regional offices liaise with one another. Says Vera: “If a person from Bradford is attacked in another part of the country, the incident will be referred to us when they return home.”

The charity needs parents’ consent to help younger victims of crime, below the age of 16. “Parents might notice a change in the behaviour of their son or daughter and will speak to us about a visit,” says Emma. “They are indirect victims of what has happened to their child.”

The help given by the team is appreciated. “People pop in with flowers, saying how grateful they are,” says Vera.

She adds: “We cannot take the individual back to their life before the incident, but we can help them to move forward. It is about acceptance.”

As the young woman in the poster, whose purse was stolen, goes on to say: “Victim Support was there for me – they understood. And they can help you make the marks of crime fade away too.”

For details on volunteering, e-mail areateamwy@ victimsupport.org.uk, contact Emma Stafford on 01274 530554, call the charity’s national volunteering line on 0800 8404207, or visit victimsupport.org.uk.