A CHARITY based in Malton are aiming to raise £10,000 to carry out vital work to help children with their mental health.

Community Counselling is an independent charity, which has been operating for the past 27 years, providing a range of counselling services to people living in Ryedale and Scarborough Borough Districts and across North Yorkshire.

It aims to deliver counselling and other therapeutic interventions, in addition to working along side local communities to address mental health concerns.

This work also includes education and training for counsellors and trainees.

Despite the charity’s small size of five people, Ellie Johnson, deputy manager, explained how they have a big impact across communities.

Children have been supported by the charity through face to face and remote counselling, as well as a digital programme.

The charity was recently awarded money from the Woodsmith Foundation, which they have used to deliver children’s counselling services in Scarborough and Whitby.

It also secured funding from the Ed De Nunzio Charitable Trust which will support some of the children’s counselling service in Malton, but not all necessary funds were acquired.

Ellie Johnson explained that more money is still needed to cover the charity’s delivery of services in Malton and Filey.

The cost of delivering to these areas comes to £10,000, with £1,000 needed to top up the fund for Malton and another £9,000 needed for Filey.

The charity has now called on the public to help raise the needed funds to carry out their vital work and help children who are struggling with their mental health.

Ellie said: “Unfortunately, the children of Filey and Malton are missing out and we do not want that to happen, we need to raise funds to provide a children's counselling service in those areas.

“There are no free at the point of use children’s counselling services in Filey and we would like to change that. Our aim is to support as many children as we can.”

According to the NHS and mental health charity Mind, one in six children aged five to 16 suffered problems with their mental health for the first time during the pandemic.   

Community Counselling also added that five children in a classroom of 30 are likely to have a mental health problem, and 50% of all mental health problems start by the age of 14.

A spokesperson for Community Counselling said: “We need your help to raise £10,000 so we can run a children's counselling service in Ryedale and Filey.

“We want to support as many children as possible and we need your help to do it.”

To donate to Community Counselling visit the charity’s JustGiving page online: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/communitycounselling10k