Always on
This project successfully funded on 2nd June 2024, you can still support them with a donation.
Community Hub & MilitarySpecific Therapy, Somerset
Wincanton, Somerset, United Kingdom
Aim: A Community Hub in Wincanton, providing military specific therapy, a bookshop, pre-lived shop, wellbeing garden & peer support.
Who are we?
Got Your Six UK is a not-for-profit community interest company, supporting the military community in and around Somerset and Dorset.
Directors
Tara - Somerset based, GYSUK Founder, Military Spouse, BACP registered therapist, Director and Safeguarding Lead at The Veterans Hub Weymouth and Portland CIC.
Andy - Dorset based, GYSUK Director, Armed Forces Veteran, Founder and Project Manager of The Veterans Hub Weymouth and Portland CIC
Gareth - Wiltshire based, Armed Forces Veteran of 22 years, now a Senior Project Manager in Civvy Street
Our Story
Got Your Six UK CIC have been providing a trauma-informed military specific counselling and psychotherapy service for almost two years based out of The Veterans Hub in Weymouth, with referrals coming in weekly from statutory and charitable organisations, such as Always A Rifleman Programme, DMWS, local GPs and more.
Currently, we make contact within 48hrs of a referral coming in and assess clients within two weeks, with those who disclose suicidal ideation being seen almost immediately, meaning we are bridging a gap locally in military mental health.
With a lack of support for the military community identified in south Somerset and north Dorset, and an increase in demand for our services, a decision was made to expand the support available to our military community into a wider area and so Got Your Six UK became a registered CIC in Aug 2023.
Got Your Six UK also now has a team of serving and veteran Peer Support Mentors who provide informal buddy-to-buddy style support for those in need of a chat and assistance with signposting to the appropriate services.
Expansion
A suitable premises was secured on a five-year lease in Wincanton, Somerset, although it was in need of extensive refurbishment, having been a former Natwest bank and left empty for some time.
Walls came down, walls went up, and everything from new ceilings to new floors are going in!
The landlord, of course, carried out the major works with help from our veterans, however, we had 1400sqft to decorate and furnish ourselves!
The premises is now complete and home to a military community wellbeing hub and therapeutic centre.
We have added another therapy room to expand the low-cost therapy available; an informal drop-in social space with regular drop-in clinics provided by local services and advice organisations; a communal wellbeing garden, a pre-loved bookshop, and opportunities for group classes, trips and get togethers.
Why do we need funding?
Being a CIC means we fund most of the project ourselves through our therapy, bookshop, workshops, merchandise, and goods for sale, however, the demand for our services means we require some funding to assist us to fulfil our cause, for the first year, at least.
Therapy can only be provided at low cost by subsidising sessions through various avenues. For example, Always A Rifleman Programme fully fund the first six sessions for Riflemen making therapy more accessible, whilst allowing us to still pay our highly skilled therapists a fair rate.
Other organisations part fund sessions, meaning the veteran pays a low fee per session.
Some clients, due to their unfortunate circumstances cannot afford to contribute at all to their sessions, yet are in desperate need of support. We will do all we can to offer that therapy at no cost but we cannot do that without support.
How will your donations help?
As little as £5 will help us to offer free tea, coffee and biscuits to those who stop by, perhaps just in need of a chat, friendship, or just to get out of the cold!
Something more, for example, £40, would allow us to offer a therapy session with experienced military specific therapists for just £20 per session!
Other contributions could assist with other therapeutic activities such as purchasing some plants for our wellbeing garden. The possibilities are endless!
Aside from the 'in-house' stuff, we also aim to provide external activities, for example organising trips to a museum, or a coastal day out to support veteran's mental health and decrease isolation.
The more we receive, the more we can offer to our military community.
If you're able to help get this project established, in any way, we would be most grateful!
For more information, please email 📧 [email protected]