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The High Sheriff of East Sussex, Lucinda Fraser, recently visited Counselling Plus Community (CPC) at their main office in Cambridge Gardens, to discuss the impact of NHS funding cuts to this well-respected mental health service.

CPC has earned the gratitude of thousands of local people over the past 32 years and relied on the NHS funding each year to bring in additional grants by using the money as ‘match funding’ when making applications to a wide range of charitable trusts.

CPC prides itself on maintaining its original ethos of providing professional and effective therapy to local residents of Hastings & Rother, regardless of their ability to pay the full cost.

Verra Papaspyrou, CEO of CPC says - ‘Everyone should have access to therapy when they need it – irrespective of income. It is a disaster for CPC and our clients that this funding is to be cut when demand is even higher than ever before. As a charity, we are used to being flexible and finding different ways to survive and we are determined to continue to support our clients to improve their mental health. We will need to look to the community for support now. A new Service Provision is now in place and we are working hard to make sure our clients are not impacted by these changes any more than is necessary. We will now be requesting a financial contribution from clients but will continue to raise additional funds to ensure no one is blocked from therapy at CPC.'

Verra Papaspyrou (CEO), Lucinda Fraser (High Sheriff) and Alex (Counsellor)

After visiting CPC, Lucinda Fraser made the following comment – ‘I so enjoyed my visit to Counselling Plus to understand the extraordinary work that you are doing with some of the most vulnerable people in our community. I really appreciated talking to you all and hearing all that you are achieving in such a difficult climate as we are currently experiencing.’

Locally and nationally, it is acknowledged that poor mental health is stopping people from working, enjoying their life and fulfilling their potential.

CPC works with domestic and sexual abuse survivors, people who are planning suicide, those with depression, anxiety and trauma. Clients have reported that the therapeutic support they have experience through counselling sessions at CPC has enabled them to turn their lives around and become fully integrated within their communities.

Local mental health service seeks support from the community