It’s been a rollercoaster of a year, when NWCH has been deluged with referrals and calls from people urgently needing our help.
Our CEO, Naomi Watkins-Ligudzinska, reflects on the highs and lows of 2020.
Mental health issues have been thrown under the glare of the spotlight as never before, in a year which has exacerbated anxieties about family and friends, raised fears about jobs and finances and triggered worries about dying.
Earlier this year, the challenging environment encouraged us to creatively adjust our service and allowed us to stay positive and support existing and new clients as the Coronavirus pandemic increased its grip. We were also extremely grateful for the support the Hub received.
However, there will be no let-up in our efforts as we look forward to a brighter 2021. The Covid-19 vaccines are excellent news, but we know as many people as ever will still need our support in the coming months. That’s why we are developing an innovative App to offer instant support to those we cannot immediately help.
Last January, a traditionally difficult time for many, our clients included people who had hit a new low after Christmas, due to strained family gatherings, marital and relationship problems, loneliness and other issues.
In March, when the Pandemic started to really bite and the first lockdown loomed, we braced ourselves and started to consider how, with a limited number of counselling rooms, we could service our existing clients. At the same time more referrals came flooding in.
Taking someone through counselling takes time, but we were determined not to disrupt sessions for clients who were making good progress, but a new approach was necessary.
In addition to investing in PPE and screens, we decided to transition from offering face-to-face counselling and started delivering sessions over the telephone and online, for everyone except young children.
We were amazed at how busy we became. At one point we were supporting 130 clients and we also had a growing waiting list. Today we are typically providing about 800 counselling appointments a month, compared with an average 500 a month last year.
Throughout all this the sterling work of the growing NWCH team is to be applauded and of course, we applied for help from Government support schemes where possible, but there is no doubt the sheer generosity of other organisations have made a huge difference to what we have achieved.
We offer all sorts of counselling, for everyone from children to adults of all ages, helping them to work through past traumas and issues which are putting their lives on hold.
These can include bereavement, broken partnerships and marriages and, increasingly, counselling people who have suffered sexual abuse or domestic abuse – often to the surprise of their family and friends.
In July, we were delighted to receive £11,000 boost, as a share of £150,000 of funding secured by Lincolnshire’s Police & Crime Commissioner to help organisations dedicated to helping the victims of sexual abuse.
In August, the Hub had more good news, when two of our bids for “match funding” were successful.
We were incredibly grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund and the Government when we received £70,000 – to cover wages and help pay for the installation of a more secure online system, allowing confidential storage, and new IT equipment for staff.
During this time we were also able to take on three more counsellors, which gave us a team of four working remotely. Since March, we have also employed three more “face-to-face” counsellors giving us seven new people overall.
A grant of £20,000 from The Key Fund, a past supporter of the Hub, also proved a massive help. The team gave a collective sigh of relief because we knew it would cover our rent for the next year.
There’s no way we are going to stand still in 2021. We are excited about our future plans, which include the launch of an App in the New Year, a March conference, with EDAN Lincs Domestic Abuse Service and Pepperells, and a fourth birthday event.
Our New Year Resolutions:
1. To use the power of digital technologies to boost the lives of more people
2. To encourage more people to make the most of NWCH Training Courses
3. To continue to support people’s mental health in the county of Lincolnshire and beyond
Our Top Tips for looking after your mental wellbeing this Christmas
It will certainly feel very different this year, for all of us, but there are things we can do to make the holiday season more relaxing and enjoyable:
We would like to wish you a Merry Christmas from everyone at NWCH.
Please click on the image above if you would like to make a donation to support our work.
NWCH is closed from 2pm on Wednesday 23rd December 2020
and re-opens on Monday 4th January 2021.
RECENT POSTS
I don’t think I could recommend NWCH enough! My counsellor is great, I feel understood and hopeful and never judged. Thank you!
Young person Accessing NWCH Counselling Service
My son is opening up to Wayne about all aspects of losing his Dad - happy memories and the painful truth that he won’t be coming back. Wayne has taught him to acknowledge the pain but also remember the many happy times. The counselling he has had with Wayne has been invaluable.
Mum of her young son Accessing NWCH Counselling Service
Coming in for couples counselling, we were both nervous about how the session would work having not done anything like this before.
He listened to each of us and made it feel very light-hearted and easy. We were able to share our feelings and thoughts and Ian gently guided us to explain our views to help us see each other’s views and gave us things to think about for next week.
Couple Accessing NWCH Counselling Service
Personally, I was a very sceptical individual and initially attended as a good Will gesture to my family who had encouraged me to do so……. that being said I found myself to be able to talk to (let’s be honest, a stranger) about my life and its difficulties in an open and comfortable fashion……. don’t get me wrong I’m no soft touch! But I found it genuinely comforting to be able to do so! …. it makes me ask and look for answers from myself ….. rather than someone with a title telling me what’s wrong……,
Adult Accessing NWCH Counselling Service
The match of counsellor has meant my husband looks forward to his sessions & already is feeling happier & we as a family are seeing a difference. It is detail like this that makes asking for help via the NW Counselling Hub stand out – plus the reassurance all counsellors are qualified.
We cannot recommend the NW Counselling Hub enough and thank them for all they are doing for our family.
Adult Accessing NWCH Counselling Service
“We want to support our team when ‘life happens’. We asked NWCH to be our ‘go to’ support service for counselling and emotional support to help members of our team, if they need it, get them through some difficult personal issues such as bereavement and anxiety. The team at the hub are incredibly supportive and have provided a lifeline to our team”
Lincoln Employer referring employees to NWCH Counselling Service.
“NWCH have been providing counselling services to our employees for a few years now and I can honestly say that they have made a significant difference to many of their lives.
We are a company that believes in investing in our staff, and it is great to see when that investment is so profound and has such a positive impact, especially when it comes to people’s wellbeing.
Thank you NWCH, for enabling us to offer our teams such fantastic support and help to feel better when they face challenging times.”
HR Manager at Micronclean Ltd
OFFICE
CONTACT INFO