A hotline for women in need of support may be being under-used, according to volunteers.

The telephone service, run by the Women's Resource Centre in Hamilton, is there to help women on the Island whatever their problem, be it domestic violence, sexual assault, depression or anything they need to talk about.

It is manned night and day by a team of volunteers but in the whole of 2005 it received just 90 calls.

Kathy Harriott, the centre's clinical supervisor and counsellor, believes many women who could benefit from the hotline are not aware of its existence, dare not call or don't realise it could help them.

"The hotline's original use was as a rape crisis line," said Ms Harriott. "But now people can phone that want support and need somebody to talk to. Our volunteers are very willing and interested in having callers.

"There are still people who don't know we are here. I have had people say in the last six months 'we didn't know you were there'. The hotline volunteers want more people to know about us.

"They are here to answer the calls. We are looking for money to promote the service and provide money for volunteers. We want people to know we have a hotline and they can use it."

Ms Harriott also worries that the centre itself, which helped 320 women last year, is under-utilised. It offers advice and counselling in numerous areas and legal help to female victims of domestic violence.

"Bermudians are extremely private," said Ms Harriott. "Clients say to me all the time 'I don't want my business out there'. It's hard to get people through the door. People walk up the stairs here and they can be seen.

"But we provide a very vital service, which is confidential. We provide counselling and support. We help women in abusive situations create a safety plan. Often women aren't ready to leave yet.

"Our main focus is domestic violence and sexual assault but we have women who come here for many other things as well."

The centre hopes to recruit more hotline volunteers. They have to undertake a ten-week course to help them better understand sexual assault and domestic violence.

This year's course ? which is open to members of the public ? is running from February 13 to April 17 at Bermuda Chamber of Commerce.

It costs $85 and participants must register at the Women's Resource Centre, in Reid Street, before February 6.

"We do this annually and it's for anyone who wants to come," said Ms. Harriott. "We often have Police officers, nurses, teachers and school counsellors.

"People come just to get more information. In the workplace you might have somebody who comes to you who you know is being abused. What can you do? Everybody knows somebody who has been abused at some time."

The seminars will include talks by a sexual assault response nurse, a Police inspector, a public prosecutor and a counsellor of male sex offenders and batterers.

The course will look at topics such as why women stay in abusive relationships and the effects of child battery.

@EDITRULE:

Call the hotline on 295-7273 between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Monday to Thursday and from 6 p.m. on Friday to 6 a.m. on Monday. During office hours the centre can be reached on 295-3882.