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Bishop Nick has become patron of Wellspring Therapy & Training, a Harrogate-based counselling and training centre.
He says, “For many people with mental health issues, timely access to good quality talking therapy is essential. And at a time when access to that provision is at a premium, charities like Wellspring provide a crucial service, so I am glad to offer my support by becoming their patron".
The charity, which provides affordable short and long-term counselling for the Harrogate and District community, is relocating to St Andrew’s Vicarage in Starbeck (recently bought by the Liz & Terry Bramall Foundation) to meet the growing demand for its services.
Moira Start, Chair of Wellspring’s trustees, says: “We are delighted that the Bishop of Leeds has agreed to become our patron. As one of the very senior members of the Church of England, with so many demands on his time, this is a wonderful honour and a real endorsement of what we are trying to achieve.
“We have also been humbled by people's generosity which has helped us to raise nearly £100,000 since we launched our appeal last autumn. We still need over £100,000 to transform the vicarage into a first-class training and counselling centre, and we will be redoubling our fund-raising efforts this year, but we are sustained by the kindness we have experienced so far."
Emily Fullarton, Director of Wellspring, says: “In the UK, 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health issue at least once in their lifetime. According to local research, many people in Harrogate assume because it's a ‘nice town’ people don’t struggle with these issues. That simply isn’t true. There is a huge demand in Harrogate for our services and it’s increasing. The NHS, which is responsible for mental health care, needs our support. In 2015, for example, 44 per cent of our referrals came from the NHS.
“What makes Wellspring’s work unique is that we offer affordable long-term, open-ended counselling where needed. Unfortunately, this type of therapy is not currently widely available from the NHS. Most private counselling typically costs between £40-60 for each session, but many of our clients are unable to afford this.
“We aim to restore hope, develop resilience and facilitate positive change in people’s lives. We are passionate about enabling people to find healing and seeing them move towards emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing".
To find out how you can donate to the Wellspring Appeal, please call the team on 01423 881881 or visit the website www.wellspringtherapy.co.uk
Wellspring’s counsellors work to the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Ethical Framework for Good Practice and are an affiliated organization to the Association of Christian Counsellors (ACC). They are rated highly by clients and referrers.