WELLINGTON Community Counselling celebrated its sixth this year.

As a consequence of its success in the town and beyond it became formally known as Community Counselling CIC in April 2024.

It has become a sustainable not-for-profit due to considerable support from Wellington Town Council, Taunton Women’s Aid and the dedication of the counsellors and the vision of Rhonda Lovell who created it in 2018.

It was set up to ensure that everyone who needs to access help for their mental health and wellbeing is able to do so, at an affordable rate and in a quicker timeframe than with other counselling and mental health services.

In the last six years, it has provided 897 people with weekly counselling in a conveniently located place (online or face-to-face) in which they can discuss personal struggles.

The counselling team believe in the three core values of professionalism, equality of access and compassion.

A team of 13 counsellors cover all areas and aspects of counselling adults, children and young people.

The counsellors have a wide variety of experience including within primary and secondary school settings, working with families within the community and working individually with clients to promote self-awareness, self-worth and growth.

The positive contribution and impact that Community Counselling has made on the people that it serves and in the wider community is growing; in helping an individual one helps whole families and the impact will be felt not just by the current generation but by those of the future also.

It serves to ease pressure on other local services such as doctors’ surgeries and schools that may not have the ability and/or funding to be able to keep up with the ongoing rise in poor mental health, particularly amongst children and young people and more so since the COVID-19 Pandemic.

It believes that “healthy and strong families make for a healthy and strong community”.

This year Community Counselling welcomed practice manager, Anna Disney, to oversee the organisational running of the practice and to work alongside CEO Rhonda Lovell to further develop the reach and impact of the project.

Community Counselling is currently seeking to appoint new directors who feel passionate about the business model and can contribute their knowledge and expertise to this ever-expanding CIC.

A spokesperson said: “As we strive to meet a rising level of need, the support from grants and the local community becomes ever more fundamental.

“We are profoundly grateful for every incoming donation or fund we receive to help us continue our work.

“As a CIC we rely on the generosity and support of grants to supplement our trading income, which we reinvest back into providing services to our local community.

“For further information about how to donate, join our team as a director or make a request for counselling please visit our website at www.wellington-counselling.co.uk or call our direct line on 01823765144.”