• Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

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Young people’s counselling service saved!

Screen Shot 2016-04-07 at 09.57.35A regional children’s charity is celebrating after a counselling service for young people in Newcastle has been saved.

The counselling service, run by Children North East, was due to close on 31st March when a grant from Newcastle City Council came to an end.  Thanks to £25,000 from the Players of People’s Postcode Lottery, the service and counsellors jobs have been saved, whilst the charity applied for more sustainable funds.

The service, run from the charity’s WEYES young people’s drop-in centre in Elswick, provided support to 65 young people during 2015 with issues such as depression, anxiety and isolation.  The qualified Counsellors are skilled in a variety of methods and provide individualised support to each young person, ensuring they receive the mental health support they need.

Lynn Renwick, Service Manager at Children North East, said: “We’re very grateful for the support provided by the Players of People’s Postcode Lottery, enabling this essential service to continue.  Since we first started the service in May 2014, it has proved a lifeline for many vulnerable young people who would otherwise have to wait a long time for NHS services.  This amazing news could not have a come at a more crucial time with the service just days away from closure.”

One mother, whose daughter was helped by the service, said: “My teenage daughter was really struggling with emotional problems and we were desperate to get some support for her.  I don’t know what we would have done without Children North East’s counselling service, the support my daughter has received through a very difficult time, has been excellent.  We all feel like the future’s much brighter now and I’m so grateful to Children North East for that support.”

Children North East is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year and will be launching a Mental Health Campaign in April to further support vulnerable young people and their families throughout the charity.

By admin