Counselling and Support for Young People hoping to fund new counselling programme through Aviva Community Fund

A Newark-based counselling service is asking for votes in a charity fund competition.

Counselling and Support for Young People (CASY) of London Road, has entered the Aviva Community Fund competition.

The Aviva Community Fund finances more than 500 projects. For a project to reach the final, where a judging panel will award the funds, it has to receive enough votes from the public.

In the past, winners have asked for funding for a range of different projects. Lowe’s Wong Junior School in Southwell is a past winner of the competition and they asked for up to £1,000 for a new football kit and sports equipment.

CASY, which provides support to young people in Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, has asked for up to £10,000 to provide extra support for the six to 11 age group.

The counselling service helped more than 1,800 young people last year with 35% aged between six and 11 and are struggling to meet the demand.

The funding would provide training for eight counsellors who would be put through a core programme of workshops on trauma, arts and play techniques, childhood bereavement and attachment and childhood development.

Alongside the core training, the counsellors will dedicate 25 hours a week to three clients to reinforce the skills and knowledge they develop in the workshops.

The project will allow not just the eight counsellors on the course a chance to develop skills that are vital for the six to 11 age group, but also to training counsellors as they qualify.

CASY works closely with GP surgeries, statuary services and other community-based services so that everyone is aware of what is on offer.

For more information or to vote visit https://community-fund.aviva.co.uk/voting/project/view/4-171.