Counselling is available to adults and children alike with no discrimination whatsoever. We cover an area described as Shepway, Kent.
We receive referrals from the NHS, local GPs, health-workers, schools, the police, concerned individuals and a number of self-referrals. After assessment of a client's needs, we match him/her to one of our team of 50+ self-employed qualified counsellors who offer a course of long-term, one-to-one, face-to-face counselling, usually a minimum of 12 weekly sessions.
Clients suffer from various forms of mental disability that arise from stress, anxiety, abuse - physical and sexual - depression, victim of crime, OCD, phobias etc and the aim of counselling is to help them confront their situation and its causes. The main outcome we seek is a solution that restores clients' self-esteem and confidence and helps them take appropriate action to remedy/rectify their situation.
We have helped many thousands of clients over the past 20 years and we have a waiting list, arising mainly from referrals by GPs, health workers, NHS, police, schools and others.
The sessions are free to those unable to pay.
Those who can pay are asked for £20 per session if employed, £10 if unemployed or a child. We rely on donations, grants, sales from our charity shop and fund-raising events to cover the shortfall between income from clients and the total costs of providing the service.
The shop is now, of course, closed and we're unable to hold fund-raising events. There has been a significant increase in demand, which we’re trying to meet but which has exacerbated an already fragile financial situation – funds are running low.
The shortfall for the 5 months May-September is estimated at £19,000.
- Receipts from clients £25,000
- Outgoings £44,000 made up as:
- Mortgage interest £2,000
- Counsellors' & supervisors' charges £27,000
- Wages, pension, PAYE and NI £13,000
- Premises overheads £2,000
- Shortfall £19,000
Current bank balances total a little over £14,000, which highlights our dilemma and the need for urgent support if we're not to run out of money in the coming weeks and months.