Vulnerable people in York with mental health issues will get counselling thanks to grant from freemasons
People in and around York will be able to access high quality help for mental health issues, thanks to a grant from Yorkshire North and East Riding freemasons.
The £10,000 grant to the York Mind charity will contribute to the Specialist Counselling Service, offering support to people who are experiencing mental ill health.
York Mind’s services includes one-to-one counselling, advocacy, an activities programme, young people’s individual and group support, training and employability assistance Approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year. In the past year, York Mind has supported around 4,000 people across all services. Demand for services continues to increase, and many of these services are in the position of operating waiting lists.
In the past year, the general counselling service has provided support to 91 individuals, and delivered over 1,500 hours of counselling by a dedicated and highly skilled team, including two coordinators and 19 volunteers. This service does not receive any statutory funding, and has relied upon donations from individuals. The donation from the freemasons will contribute to the overall running costs of this service, helping to sustain it for the next two years.
The grant from Yorkshire North and East Ridings freemasons comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends, from across England and Wales.
Vicky Blakey-Archer – Head of Client Services said:
“We’re very grateful to Yorkshire North and East Ridings freemasons for their generous grant, which will allow us to help more of people in and around York who need help with mental health issues. Our counselling team are committed to providing high quality, meaningful and affordable one-to-one support, working to ensure that each person is able to get the most out of their counselling sessions.”
Stephen Robinson from Yorkshire North and East Riding freemasons said:
“I’m very pleased we’ve been able to support York Mind, who do truly outstanding work helping people in York with mental health issues. There are thousands of local people who badly need help and many of them can recover completely with the right treatment.”
Photograph L-R: Stephen Robinson Yorkshire North and East Ridings Freemasons, Vicky Blakey-Archer Head of Client Services York Mind, Darrin Thomson Senior Counselling Lead York Mind, Terry Bert Yorkshire North and East Ridings Freemasons
About York Mind
York Mind is an independent provider of high quality, mental health services in York and its surrounding area. Our wide range of services help individuals as they recover from a variety of mental health conditions. We are a leading local provider of services supporting individuals recovering from mental ill-health to achieve outcomes that will progress them towards recovery, social inclusion and integration in mainstream activity such as learning, volunteering or employment.