Horsham and Crawley Counselling Group’s #stopthedrop campaign bags over £1,000 from Tesco’s community grant scheme

Horsham and Crawley Counselling Group CIC has successfully secured funding of over £1,000 with the help of Tesco customers to support their #stopthedrop campaign. This campaign was aimed at ensuring clients could remain in counselling and avoid leaving due to financial pressure from the cost of living crisis.

Rachel Gardiner-Hill, Lead Director, commented ‘We were acutely aware of the impact of the cost of living crisis on our clients – meaning that understandably, they no longer felt able to prioritise looking after their mental health and wellbeing or that of their children.

We are extremely grateful to the customers of Tesco who nominated us for this award.  This money will allow more clients to stay with us.  Looking after our local residents and their families mental health during this difficult time remains our top priority.’

‘Together with our recent successful crowdfunding appeal which raised over £3,000 we are now able to extend the support to our existing clients via our Hardship Fund so that they continue to benefit from working with our dedicated team.’

Claire de Silva, Tesco’s Head of Community, added: “Tesco Community Grants help support local good causes like Horsham and Crawley Counselling Group and especially those projects supporting young people, those providing food, and local causes close to our colleagues’ hearts.”

Tesco Community Grants is run in partnership with community charity Groundwork, who has awarded grants to thousands of local community projects every year.

Tesco’s Community Grants scheme – previously Tesco Bags of Help – has already provided over £100 million to more than 50,000 projects across Britain.

Groundwork’s National Chief Executive, Graham Duxbury, said: “Tesco Community Grants continues to give local projects the boost they need to help their communities thrive. We are pleased to have been able to help so many local good causes over the years and look forward to seeing what community organisations can achieve in the future with the right resources.”

Funding is available to community groups and charities looking to fund local projects that bring benefits to communities. To find out more visit https://www.tescoplc.com/sustainability/stronger-starts.

Ends

Issued by Horsham and Crawley Counselling Group CIC

For further information please contact: Rachel Gardiner-Hill, Lead Director

NOTES TO EDITORS:

• Horsham and Crawley Counselling Group is a Community Interest Company – we’re a talking business where society profits. Based at Alphacom House in Oakhill Road, our team of dedicated counsellors have been supporting the mental health of residents and employees of Horsham, Crawley and the surrounding villages since 2015.

Our social mission is to provide long or short term affordable counselling.  We remain one of the few third sector organisation able to provide open ended counselling support.

HCCG CIC was the proud recipient of a WISE* award in 2020 for exceptional leadership in a social enterprise.

*NatWest/Pioneers Post ’ Women in Social Enterprise’ Award scheme

Horsham & Crawley Counselling Group is committed to supporting students on their journey to professional qualification.  We usually recruit twice during a year – once in the Spring and again in the Autumn.  Please watch the website as we post when we are recruiting.  If you apply to us outside these periods we will probably hold your application until recruitment opens again and then contact you unless we have unexpected vacancies.

Who are we and what is our client base?

Horsham & Crawley Counselling Group CIC is committed to providing affordable counselling to adults, children and young people in Horsham, Crawley & the surrounding areas.  We are a team of experienced qualified counsellors and students who offer day and evening appointments to our client base.  As an organisation we abide by the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions (July 2016).

We practice in comfortable counselling rooms in Alphacom House in Oakhill Road in Horsham.

The majority of our counsellors’ work on a voluntary basis; offering a commitment to give the  minimum of 2 hours free counselling per week to support our work.   We operate a sliding scale fee structure to our clients based on their income.  Our clients self-refer or are referred in by their healthcare professionals.  We work open ended or on a time limited basis, dependent on clients’ needs.

How do we support you as a student counsellor?

As a student counsellor you would receive from us

• Suitably assessed adult clients for you to work with on a timely basis to help you gain your hours (unless you apply to work with our children and young peoples team – PACT).
• Free fortnightly supervision with an appropriately qualified supervisor at Alphacom House
• Free insurance cover whilst you volunteer for the Group
• Induction processes and support from the Clinical Placement Manager
• Involvement in team meetings and CPD opportunities
• The opportunity to practice with a wide range of presenting issues
• The opportunity to engage with a motivated, friendly and experienced counselling team who are dedicated to continuing to offer support to local residents
• We will seek an Enhanced DRB check for you if you do not hold one but you would be expected to contribute to 50% of the cost.

What we expect from you?

• The ability to see two to three clients a week voluntarily according to your availability
• Evidence of student membership of the BACP or similar professional organisation
• A commitment to support our mission and practice in a way that reflects the ethos of our Group
• A commitment to remain for 18 months with the Group (with a 12 week notice period)
• A commitment to attend and engage regularly with supervision and team meetings

Before applying what else might I need to think about in relation to my placement?

• We are a community based organisation and a lot of our clients work and attend in the evenings so to give yourself the best chance of getting the experience and clinical hours you need it helps to be available for evening work.
• Our supervision runs fortnightly and we expect you to be able to make arrangements wherever possible to fit in with our supervision timetable.
• If you are travelling some distance to get to us think about making allowances for journey times and the costs involved and be realistic about your availability.

How can you apply?

• Please make initial contact with us by email – we will then invite you to download and complete an application form.