A SANCTUARY for teenagers whose lives have been blighted by sexual exploitation has been awarded Government funding.

Durham County Council has been awarded just under £500,000 to provide a safe bolt-hole and round-the-clock therapeutic care for troubled young people who have suffered from sexual abuse.

The money will also help get their lives back on track with services to help young people make the transition back into independent living once their recovery is complete.

Announcing the new funding at the No10 Child Sexual Exploitation Summit, Children and Families Minister Edward Timpson said: “This programme will deliver real results for Durham’s young people whose lives have been overturned by the devastating physical and psychological effects of sexual exploitation.”

It is one of a number of national projects announced today (Tuesday, March 3) as part of the Government’s £100m Innovation Programme.

Carole Payne, Durham County Council’s head of children’s services, said: “We are pleased to be given this opportunity to develop therapeutic programmes for young people whose lives have been blighted by sexual exploitation.

“We will be working with Barnardo’s specialist child sexual exploitation team and Odysseus Mentoring Project to develop very specialist programmes which will be available to children from across the north of England and potentially the rest of the country.”