A MENTAL health service has celebrated its 20th anniversary as an independent charity with staff vowing to continue helping people.

Colchester Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre have been trading as an independent charity since October 1995, providing emotional support to hundreds of vulnerable people.

Despite a major funding cut the centre is determined to continue.

Christine Maddock has worked there for 18 years and is their only employed staff member.

She became the manager eight years ago.

She said: “We offer a safe and confidential place for people who are in need of counselling, somewhere they can feel heard because they don’t always have an opportunity to talk about what they’re experiencing.

“Being quite a small agency and a charity, rather than being privately funded, we rely a lot on clients’ contributions and grants.

“Finding money to mop up the shortfall is a huge part of my role.

“We have to keep the show on the road as best we can.”

Most of the clients find their way to the centre through word-of-mouth and online searches, which Christine said works well for them.

Gazette:

Clients must be aged over 18 and are subject to an assessment.

Although they will mostly deal with Christine on the phone, for referrals and appointments, she tries not to see clients in-house to respect their privacy.

Also central to the philosophy at the centre is no one should be turned away through lack of funds.

The philosophy remains despite Essex County Council withdrawing the £6,000 annual funding they had received since 1998, with little explanation.

Ms Maddox said: “It was just the fact they’d had their budget cut, but after speaking with them in April 2014, when the funding was due to be withdrawn, they agreed to give me half the funding until the following April.

“It was easy money because it just came in, now I have to fight for funding, but we were lucky to have it for as long as we did.

“It’s a case of writing to lots of grant trusts and authorities hoping people will empathise with our services.

“Essex Community Foundation have supported us a lot and Comic Relief has also. A lot of organisations out there are offering funding but you have to meet their criteria and it’s usually favoured towards projects.

“With a project you can dress it all up and you have a measurable outcome, but we’re doing what we say on the tin, and continuing to do so, but it still makes it more challenging.

“Knowing over 850 people have come through our doors is enough for me and hopefully we’ve helped them really move forward in their lives.”

The centre is based in Culver Street East, having moved from Northgate Street 14 years ago.

It began life as a women’s refuge, founded by Mrs James Round, wife of the Rector of All Saints Church in Colchester.

Over the next 80 years the refuge moved around town in various houses until it settled in East Hill in 1938.

Although the organisation still carries the Church of England’s ethos and legacy, religion is no longer central to its services.

The team marked 20 years, in its current form, with a short celebration before getting back to the work of helping people.

Ms Maddox said: “We had a meal with members of the trust and our therapists but besides this it’s business as usual. We kept it very intimate and private."

The centre specialises in helping people feeling depressed or anxious.

They see clients who are experiencing a range of emotional problems, including those who are having difficulty relating to others, having issues with self-esteem, or other problems at work or home.