Brand new counselling service set to launch

We have secured £394,000 funding to provide a brand new counselling and life coaching service.

The new service, called Ongo Talk aims to support people with mental health and psychological issues, to improve their confidence and skills and ultimately support them to get back into work. This will be done through a variety of group and individual sessions, carried out by a trained and qualified team.

The £237,000 funding from North Lincolnshire Council’s Community Led Local Development Fund (CLLD) will support people living in its certain disadvantaged areas in Scunthorpe who require mental health support. This funding complements the £118,000 we are investing to run this service.

CLLD aims to support the unemployed and economically inactive, create new and support existing businesses, and get them into work. The programme is funded by the England European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme.

350 people will be able to access this support free of charge, depending on their circumstances and area they live, to improve their mental health and wellbeing. The service will also be available to those who don’t qualify for it for free; they will be able to pay between £10 and £25 per hour, which is still below the national rate for counselling.

The project is initially funded for three years, with the aim for it to become self sustaining at the end of the three years to be able to continue offering this much needed support.

Jan Williams, Head of Community Investment, said: “We recognised there is a need for this service because there has been a significant increase in the number of people requiring mental health support.

“We’re teaming up with North Lindsey College and Ambassador Training to be able to offer a full service, offering tailored packages depending on the needs of the individual. We’ll be offering an initial face to face assessment to identify any barriers that are stopping them from progressing in life. Once the assessment has been carried out, they will be allocated a qualified counsellor from North Lindsey College to work with. They will also be able to access various training courses carried out by Ambassador Training.

“We’re really grateful to the CLLD Fund for recognising the importance of this service and supporting us with the three year funding they’ve provided us with.”

Cllr Rob Waltham, Leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said: “It is brilliant to see the first project developing after receiving funding from the Community Led Local Development Programme. Ongo will be providing a much-needed service that will aim to support people into work.  
 
“CLLD was created for business and voluntary and community groups to provide opportunities in local communities to offer training and improve skills – giving residents a better chance of getting a job.
 
“There are lots of job opportunities available and we want to support people to get the right skills that will assist them in getting a job.
 
“The funding can also help people who may want to start their own businesses.