Converting Steps into Counselling Sessions
On 22nd June, a sunny Saturday morning, Challenge Day finally arrived and our ‘Walk for Willows’ team took on the 25km Cotswold Way Ultra Challenge. The intrepid walking team included Willows Counselling Co-CEOs Denise Brent and Amanda Cook, plus eager volunteers from our staff, counsellor and student teams. Setting off from the basecamp in Cirencester, they navigated the steep ascents and descents that lead them into the heart of the beautiful Cotswold landscape for this gruelling cross-country trek.
With an ambitious fundraising target of £5000, the motivation behind the impressive effort of these novice walkers is to raise enough money to fund 200 counselling sessions to ensure that financial constraints are not a barrier to people accessing much needed therapeutic support.
The Motivation
With 1 in 4 people experiencing a mental health problem of some kind each year in England, there is an ever-growing need for quality counselling support. Established for over 30 years, Willows Counselling & Training continues to offer its services to meet the mental health needs of people in Swindon, Wiltshire and the West of England. Providing an affordable service for those where finances are limits, Willows team of highly qualified counsellors offer one to one counselling sessions for people facing mental health difficulties, with a specialism in counselling for trauma and abuse with its complex challenges.
The team knew from the off that setting a £5000 target was ambitious but allow us to put that in context. Willows counsellors see on average a total of 60 clients per week: facilitating 3000 client sessions per year. Therefore, the reality is that 200 sessions equate to only 7% of the total number of sessions we run in a year; 85% of which we subsidise to some degree.
The Impact
Crossing the finish line together in Painswick with a time of 5hrs: 58mins, the team received news that donations had been rolling in. The total continued to steadily rise to a whopping grand total of £6187 including Gift Aid. This equates to 248 individual counselling sessions.
“We want to extend a huge thank you to each and every one of you who have supported this fundraiser through donations, spreading the word, and sending messages of support; we are blown away by your kindness, generosity, and care. It has been a privilege and a joy to take part in this challenge, alongside some of our truly fabulous team, who have each been amazing! Your donations will make a significant impact to the lives of others, thank you.”
Denise Brent and Amanda Cook: Co-CEOs, Willows.