The Simeon Centre counselling service in Bolton has been hit by recent changes in national health commissioning. The changes mean voluntary counselling services like Simeon are excluded from NHS funding, their main source of income.

The centre said their defining difference over their quarter-century history has been the number of sessions they have been able to offer clients with trauma and chronic distress. They always offer a minimum of 10 sessions, sometimes for a period of up to a year, allowing clients to safely unpack and heal.

The counselling service, based in the town centre, which supports more than 600 people in crisis every year, is conducted entirely by volunteers and students, and recognised as ‘exemplary’ by Bolton GP Federation.

Now, the centre says unless they can raise £25,000 to £30,000 for running costs by December 31, the service will close and more than 600 people will lose access to free support at the point of need.

Registered therapist Lisa Howarth said many of the volunteers are ‘grieving’ at the potential loss of the ‘beloved’ service. She said: “I’ve heard the centre described by many as the heart of Bolton.

“The closure of Simeon would leave an immeasurable gap in mental health support for Bolton. “It makes no sense for such a valued, and respected free, bespoke counselling service like ours, staffed by qualified, experienced counsellors, to lose its funding.

“It’s heart-breaking to know that vulnerable people will now slip to the bottom of an already overstretched NHS queue.

“Bolton is already one of the most deprived boroughs in the North West, with long NHS waiting lists and high levels of psychological need. “More than 40 counsellors, both qualified and trainee, currently volunteer to keep the service running, but we can no longer cover the essential costs without public awareness and support.”

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The service said NHS waiting lists for mental health counselling are round the country are incredibly high, with Bolton’s exceeding 1,000 people. It added that many people can wait months to be assessed, before being offered six to eight sessions.

The Local Democracy Service has seen a letter from a client, who wished to be identified as Molly W, which explained the impact that Simeon counselling has.

It said: “To all the wonderful volunteers I want to express my deepest gratitude for the incredible work you do.

“I can’t imagine all the lives you’ve touched, hope you’ve restored and and support you’ve given. “The Simeon offers a safe space, comfort and a belief that brighter days are possible.

“Thankyou for being a jewel and a gem for Bolton.”

Kevin Illingworth, chief executive officer of Simeon, said: “I have had the honour and pleasure to hear the amazing feedback from thousands of clients over the years, including waves of people who have told me they wouldn’t be alive today if it wasn’t for the support of their counsellors.

“The thought that our charity won’t be around next year and the deafening silence that will leave in so many homes next Christmas from the loss of loved ones to suicide terrifies me.

“If you are able to support our service in any way, you will be making a huge impact on the lives of so many people, their families, friends and all those who love them dearly.”

The service has begun a fundraiser with a target of £30,000. They said that would enable them to stay open throughout winter and continue supporting those who have nowhere else to turn, while they await a National Lottery funding bid in March and explore new funding streams to secure the service’s future.

The fundraiser states that if each person in the Bolton area gave 50p, the service would be funded for a whole year.

£35 is the average cost of a counselling session at Simeon Centre and £2,500 would comfortably keep the centre open for a week. £10,000 would keep the centre open for a month.

People can donate to the fundraiser at https://www.gofundme.com/f/simeon-centre-counselling-bolton.