BBC Children in Need has denied plunging a rape crisis charity into a cash crisis over a lack of support for men.
Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis (GRCC) has helped women and girls overcome the trauma of sex attacks and abuse for four decades.
Now the charity has closed its waiting list – which currently includes around 50 people waiting up to nine months for face-to-face support – over lack of funds.
Manager Isabelle Kerr told The National the move was the consequence of the loss of funding worth £35,000-a-year to GRCC.
READ MORE: Scottish rape charity in funding crisis for not doing 'enough for men'
She said BBC Children in Need had declined to renew an award made twice before to their project for women and girls aged 13-18.
Kerr said a funding officer had advised that this was because the women-only organisation does not "do enough" for male sex crime survivors.
She said: "The funding officers were very positive, but the committee made the decision. They didn't feel we were doing enough for male survivors."
Kerr says the message was relayed in verbal feedback and GRCC was told it could reapply for the next round of funds.
However, she said: "If we do, it will be on the same basis.
"We have never made any apologies for the fact that we are a women-only service.
"We have always supported male family members, and we offer signposting to Rape Crisis Scotland for any men that contact us. We've never had any negative feedback."
But as GRCC supporters launched an online petition urging BBC Children in Need to reverse the decision, a spokesperson denied the gender claim.
In a statement, they said: "We have been pleased to fund Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis since 2012. Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis’ three-year grant recently came to the end of its term, and their subsequent application for new funding was unsuccessful.
"This decision was in no way connected to the support of male victims, we award grants to charities regardless of gender."
The statement continued: “Although the public are extremely generous in their support each year, we simply don’t have the money to fund all of the projects that apply to us for grants and we have to make some really difficult decisions.
"We currently fund 313 projects to a value of £18.8 million in Scotland and receive thousands of funding applications every year from projects across the UK helping to change young lives.”
GRCC's specialist workers are currently aiding around 40 people.
Demand has been rising year on year and some of those currently awaiting face-to-face support may have to wait up to nine months.
But managers have now announced that no new cases will be taken on as a result of the cash loss.
While phoneline services will continue, it is feared that inability to meet for talks with trained staff in person will leave those at-risk of self-harm and similar behaviours even more vulnerable.
The charity, which counts author Denise Mina and Chvrches singer Lauren Mayberry as patrons, said the "recent loss of funding for our work with young women and girls" had had a "significant impact" on overall service provision.
Kerr said: "We have let those on the waiting list know they are still going to be seen as soon as we have got capacity.
"We are seeing many more complex cases, women with multiple abuses throughout their lives. They may be talking about childhood sexual abuse and domestic violence and partner sexual abuse.
"With younger girls, there are high levels of suicidal ideation and self-harm."
News of the change prompted an outpouring of support for GRCC on social media, with some offering to fundraise.
A formal appeal has now been opened on the justgiving website. To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/campaign/re-openOurWaitingList.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here