Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis (GCRC), Scotland's largest rape crisis centre, has entered influencer Molly-Mae Hague's £10,000 giveaway in a bid to secure funding, as sexual crime in Scotland reaches its highest level since records began in 1971.
The centre launched a cash appeal last month amid fears it could be forced to cut services without additional funding. Figures released at the same time showed record-high sexual attack numbers in Scotland.
Waiting lists already closed
GCRC has already closed some waiting lists for specialist support, revealing in February that survivors face waits of up to 226 days for help. Last week, the centre applied to Molly-Mae Hague's clothing brand Maebe, which is awarding £10,000 each to seven female-founded businesses or charities in the UK.
GCRC told the Daily Record they are still waiting to hear about additional funding from the Scottish Government.
Record-high sexual crime figures
Figures released by the Scottish Government showed 16,430 sexual crimes were recorded in Scotland in 2025-26, the highest level since comparable records began in 1971. Recorded rape and attempted rape also reached their highest level since 1971, with 3,229 offences. In Glasgow, a rape or attempted rape is reported to police roughly every 18 hours.
Claudia Macdonald-Bruce, Director of Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis, said: "Every day, women and girls across Glasgow and Clyde reach out to us after experiencing rape and sexual violence. The latest figures show that sexual crime in Scotland is at its highest level since records began. This reflects what our staff see every day - more survivors than ever in need of specialist support."
She added: "Last year we saw a 42 per cent increase in survivors asking for help. But our funding has not kept pace with that demand, and we have been forced to close our waiting lists to new referrals. That is a heartbreaking position for any rape crisis centre to be in."
Funding plea and Maebe initiative
Macdonald-Bruce said: "While we wait to hear about any additional funding from the Scottish Government, we are actively pursuing every other grant and funding opportunity open to us. Molly-Mae's Maebe initiative to support women-founded charities is one of those, and we put ourselves forward in the hope that any money could help us reopen our waiting lists sooner."
She continued: "We are grateful to everyone who has supported us. But survivors should not have to depend on competitions and one-off grants to get the support they need. Rape crisis services need long-term, sustainable funding so that no woman has to wait for help."
Molly-Mae, who finished as runner-up on the ITV dating show in 2019 alongside her partner, boxer Tommy Fury, launched Maebe in 2024. The centre's participation in the giveaway highlights the ongoing funding pressures facing rape crisis services in Scotland.
