Nottingham Counselling Services

Challenge​

One in four adults experience a mental health problem every year. In total, mental health illnesses cost the UK economy £120 billion a year. Accessing counselling services is a challenge for some people, with long waiting times for GP referrals and high costs attached to private appointments.​

​Approach​

Nottingham Counselling Service (NCS) specialises in working long-term with people who present complex and enduring problems, such as anxiety, depression and abuse. NCS helps reduce this cost and the days lost through stress-related illness, by making services affordable for vulnerable people.​ Key Fund loaned £40k to NCS to bridge a funding gap and adjust to a changing market. This followed austerity and public cuts that were making historic grants increasingly unavailable.​ The loan came from the Northern Impact Fund, part of the Growth Fund, a blended fund of £26.3 million of investment from Big Society Capital alongside £22.5 million in grants from the National Lottery Community Fund

​Impact

Mental illness costs the UK economy £120 billion a year, with one in four adults experiencing a mental health problem every year. NCS helps reduce this cost and days lost through stress-related illness by making services affordable for vulnerable people. Each week, NCS helps up to 150 people​. 91% of clients report significant improvements in their well-being.​ Outcomes include improved confidence, increased aspirations and better relationships​. In 2015, NCS supported 419 people – the equivalent of saving £1.4 million for the public purse.