THE Well Counselling Service in Malvern has received a £20,000 National Lottery Community Fund grant.

Michael Harper, chairman of the Board of Lyttelton Well , said: “We are really pleased and grateful to have just received this funding from the National Lottery Community Fund; it will be of great help to us as we continue to respond to the increasing need for a safe, ethical and low-cost counselling service within our community.”

The Well Counselling Service is run from Lyttleton Well, a community centre, in Church Street, Malvern, which first opened its doors in 1993 with the vision of serving the people of Malvern Town and beyond. 

It provides a venue for community activities, which includes function rooms, a café staffed by a team of volunteers and professional cooks, a Christian bookshop run by volunteers and also hosts the local foodbank.  

The Well Counselling is a key part of Lyttelton Well offering low-cost counselling to clients in Malvern and the immediate surrounding area.  It comprises a team of two part-time paid members of staff who ensure the safe and ethical running of the service, 10 qualified volunteer counsellors and three student counsellors.  The service is fortunate to be supported by volunteer administrators and a team of volunteer receptionists. 

Well Counselling can help with abuse, anxiety, relationships, depression, bereavement and many other issues.  The Service has been increasingly in demand and made the difficult decision to close the waiting list in June, 2023, because of the number of people waiting for counselling. 

Jo, Head of Counselling, said: “It was an extremely difficult decision to close our waiting list. We are however hopeful we will be able to re-open the waiting list during the month of April, 2024.  We have been working hard behind the scenes to ensure that we do not have to close our waiting list for such a long time in the future.” 

The cost per counselling session at The Well is determined by the client and based on what the client can afford. No-one is turned away because they cannot afford to pay for counselling.

Jo said: “Formal and informal feedback received consistently reflects on the positive effect receiving counselling from one of our volunteer or student counsellors has had on the client’s life, with some clients reporting counselling being a life changing process”.

The Well Counselling service is part of Lyttelton Well, a Christian organisation. The Service believes in supporting the emotional, mental and spiritual well-being of those in the local community; importantly, it works with anyone over the age of 18, regardless of financial status, gender, religion, sexual orientation, race, colour or ethnic origin.  

Well Counselling is one of many organisations that has been supported by The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK. 

If you would like to be involved with the Lyttelton Well, they are always grateful for qualified volunteer counsellors, volunteer receptionists and volunteers in the bookshop and café. More details are available on their website: www.lytteltonwell.co.uk