Don’t Lose Hope: a free and affordable professional counselling service for all members of the community

As part of Mental Health Awareness Week 2022, we are shining a spotlight on a charity that is close to our hearts, Don’t Lose Hope – a small charity based in Bourne, Lincolnshire run by Nicola and Dom Brister.

The charity offers professional counselling services for all members of the community from the age of four upwards. Their services are free to families and individuals who receive certain state benefits, and they have affordable options for others in the community.

Why was Don’t Lose Hope formed?

While working as a school counsellor, Nicola saw many children and young people she was helping also had families who needed support as a whole unit. Don’t Lose Hope was therefore set up to offer vital counselling and support services for all ages.

Nicola also sadly suffered bereavement as a teenager, after her grandfather died by suicide, so her mission is to also try and help prevent even one family from going through the same trauma she did.

How many people access services from Don’t Lose Hope?

Nicola, Dom and their team of qualified and experienced counsellors ran 5,000 sessions in 2021, of which half were free. On average they support 120 people through their centre a week, including 50 in schools, up to 50 in their community garden and approximately 40 through their support groups, night light Café and listening service.

Who typically seeks support?

Don’t Lose Hope help children and young people who do not meet the criteria for the Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) – an NHS service – and others from low-income families, if their parents are unable to access private support for them. However, support is also available to a broader range of people in the community of all ages.

How has the pandemic impacted people?

Nicola, Dom and the team have seen a huge increase in people seeking support over the last two years, especially from children and young people. So much so they are struggling to keep up and waiting times are getting longer. However, this has inspired them to expand their services and hopefully be able to offer around 200 sessions per week.

So, why is Don’t Lose Hope also important to ILX Group?

In 2019 our colleague Andy West sadly lost his son, Niall, to the most common cause of death in young men – suicide.

It is widely reported that male suicide accounts for over 70% of suicides in the UK, and, also as Andy experienced, people who take their own lives often ‘seemingly’ feel happy on the outside, are in employment, and have family and friends.

How did Don’t Lose Hope support Andy?

In February 2020, Nicola established a support group for three families in Bourne who had also suffered the loss of a child to suicide. They met twice along with two counsellors whose role was to help them talk and share as a group. As well as their counselling services,

Don’t Lose Hope also have their Community Garden and innovative “man shed”, which is open seven days a week.

Prior to lockdown, Don’t Lose Hope had be