DEMAND for the Olive Branch Counselling service has never been greater.
The Oliver Branch Counselling charity offers affordable, long-term talking therapy, in person and online, to Winchester and the surrounding area. The voluntary organisation in Winchester is the only counselling service in Hampshire that allows clients to pay only what they can afford with the rest of the costs being covered by the charity.
The service is aiming to raise £10,000 to fund 230 additional counselling sessions to be able to meet the rising demand for counselling support. The current crowdfunding campaign is part of an initiative that will see donations matched by Winchester City Council up to the value of £4000.
The support from the council, via their latest grant scheme, follows the pandemic and the ongoing cost of living crisis. The combination of the two has seen the need for mental health services come to a high, whilst financially support is becoming less accessible.
Volunteer for the Olive Branch, Juliette Ekins set up the crowdfunder. The trainee counsellor said: “The charity survives 100% on donations and it’s really difficult at the moment to get funding. We’re finding that our services are so much more in demand, particularly from people who have low income. If you try and get counselling through the NHS, there’s a huge waiting list which can take one to two years to only be offered six sessions so it’s not very effective.
“Private counselling is around at least £50 an hour so for a lot of people it’s not an option. Whereas because we’re a charity we just say pay what you can afford. Some people pay £5, some people pay a little bit more, but we don’t discriminate because of income. Particularly now with the cost of living going up, the services we provide help a lot of people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to access it.
“There are very few organisations like our own, a counselling charity. We’re getting a lot of referrals now from GPs because they’re realising now that the way to deal with depression and mental health issues is not necessarily just through medication. Through talking therapies and counselling people can find ways to help and cope with the issues they’re facing and leave with new skills on how to deal with it in the future.
“We’re really unique in what we offer and I’m really proud of that.”
One in four people suffer with a mental health issue each year in England and since the pandemic, cases of depression and anxiety have increased.
Recently the local counselling service received a grant from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation (HIWCF) who look to support smaller charities and their work in the area.
Since 2017 the charity has supported 1,605 clients, 61% of which were from zero or low-income backgrounds. Feedback showed that counselling positively impacted the life of 99% of their clients.
To find out more about Winchester’s low-cost counselling service go to www.theolivebranch.org.uk/ .
The charity's crowdfunder is open for donations until July 27 2022, for more information on the current campaign visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-the-olive-branch-counselling.
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