## **Arise Counselling Service, Training and Related Services** ## **Charity No: 1183335** ## **Trustees’ Report** **End of Year Financial Statement** **Year Ending 31 December 2024** 1 ## **Arise Counselling Service – Chair’s Summary** Throughout 2024, Arise Counselling Service (ACS) remained committed to our vision of making affordable counselling accessible to the East Grinstead community and surrounding areas. Our aim is to remove the financial barrier that can prevent individuals from getting the mental health support they need. We continue to provide a safe and supportive environment, where our clients are valued, accepted and fully heard. We offer a variety of different counselling approaches and can provide up to 24 months of sessions for the most complex cases. We understand that that circumstances and needs are different, and a ‘one size fits all’ approach does not bring the best outcomes. The main achievements of 2024 include significantly shorter waiting lists, placing 54 new clients, delivering 1,454 counselling sessions, welcoming one new student counsellor, and the qualification of two students who have continued their work with Arise. As Chair of ACS, I am proud of how our team has continued to work with dedication in this challenging field. None of our achievements would be possible without the hard work and commitment of our entire ACS team—counsellors, counselling manager, fundraising consultant, administrators, and trustees. Together, they bring professionalism, compassion, and a deep commitment to every individual they support. **Alison Morphew Chair of Trustees** 2 ## **CHARITY INFORMATION** Arise Counselling Service was set up as an unregistered organisation in November 2018, becoming a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation on the 9 May 2019. The following were Trustees of Arise Counselling Service for the financial year January 2024 – December 2024: Alison Morphew (Chair) John Blechynden Dave Pennington Mary Nicholls Heather Kauffman Freya Wright (from June 2024) ## **Registered Address** Arise Counselling Service Jubilee Community Centre, Charlwoods Road, East Grinstead, RH19 2HL https://arisecounsellingservice.com/ **Charity Number:** 1183335 **Bank:** Lloyds Bank 1/3 London Road, East Grinstead RH19 1AH ## **Independent Examiner** David Robert Ralph FCIE 50 Southwood Road Rusthall Tunbridge Wells Kent TN4 8SP 3 ## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT** For the year ended 31st December 2024 ## **Structure, governance and management** Arise Counselling Service (ACS) gained charity status on 9[th] of May 2019 as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). The Trustees are appointed by the Board of Trustees. In June 2024 ACS appointed a new trustee for a three-year term, meeting the objective of having between 3 and 12 trustees at any one time. No trustees stepped down during 2024. ACS is actively seeking new trustees through internal and external advertisements. ACS is an Affiliate of the Association of Christian Counsellors (ACC) which provides support on any ethical issue that may arise in client work or governance of the counselling service. Thirtyone:eight is our safeguarding umbrella organisation, providing safeguarding training for trustees and counsellors, as well as a similar supportive role to ACC in advising on specific safeguarding issues that might arise. Each freelance counsellor also has access to an independent qualified supervisor and their chosen national counselling governing organisation to consult on any ethical or safeguarding issue that may arise in the course of their work. ACS is managed on a day-to-day basis by a Counselling Manager, holding a self-employed role within the organisation. The Counselling Manager meets regularly with the counselling team to provide support and help with any issues that arise. The Counselling Manager attends quarterly, and any extraordinary, Board meetings by invitation of the Trustees, to update and advise on current and future matters. The Charity is insured by Howden; counselling sessions, ancillary activities and trustees are all covered. ## **Objectives and activities** The objective of the charity is to aid in the preservation and protection of the physical and mental health of the community of East Grinstead and the surrounding area, by offering excellent and affordable counselling to adolescents, adults and couples according to the qualifications of the counselling team. ACS works with qualified freelance counsellors with a Christian faith and is committed to working with trainee counsellors, who have a Christian faith, as a placement organisation. ACS respects each client’s right to make their own decisions in all aspects of life, including faith, and the service is offered to all irrespective of religious background or commitment. It is not the ethos of ACS to teach or advance the Christian faith. The Trustees are aware of the Charity Commission guidance on Public Benefit and see that the services provided fully meet the requirements of the advancement of health or the saving of lives. To ensure that counselling sessions are affordable ACS continues to charge clients at a sliding scale between £15 - £60 depending on each person’s household income. On average, the cost of one session to ACS is £35, which includes the counsellor fee, rent and overheads. For those on a very limited income, particularly when this is verified through a third-party referral, the cost is reduced to an amount that is affordable for that person. During 2024 eleven clients benefitted from this reduced rate per session. 4 ## **Achievements and Performance** ## Team Changes Following 2023, where there were quite a few changes within some major roles within ACS, 2024 has been much more stable. The Counselling Service Manager, Becky Mumford, continues to lead the team and oversee the day to day running of the service. The Finance Assistant took some time off during 2024 to have a baby, but we were able to find suitable cover to ensure the smooth running of the finances. We also created a new temporary role of Admin Assistant to provide support with some of the more administrative tasks within the charity. This has provided invaluable support and ensured that all our policies and processes are up to date and streamlined. During 2024, we supported another student with their student placement and have seen two further students qualify and continue to support ACS in their newly qualified roles. We regularly receive a lot of interest from students wanting to apply for their placements with ACS. However, we often see a higher proportion of more complex clients which would not be suitable for students, which is why we were only in a position to take on one new student in 2024. Towards the end of 2024, ACS started to advertise for qualified counsellors to join the team to meet our increasing demand for affordable counselling. This was following the departure of three qualified counsellors who left during 2024 to pursue other ventures. Recruitment of further qualified counsellors is something we will continue to work on in 2025. ## Achievements Following our work on the waiting list in 2023, 2024 has seen a much more manageable wait time for clients. Some clients were even placed within two weeks after first contacting the service. The board of trustees previously agreed that in order to ensure our waiting list didn’t ever grow as big as it was before, that we would cap the waiting list to 20 clients at any time. In the case of reaching 20, it was decided that the waiting list would need to be closed. In 2024, we never reached the point of having 20 clients on the waiting list so happily we can report that we did not need to close down our service to new clients during 2024. On average, our waiting list remained at between 10-15 clients at any given time. During 2024, we carried out 1454 counselling sessions. This is a slight decrease from 2023, where we carried out 1735 counselling sessions, which we believe is largely down to the departure of three of our qualified counsellors. On average we carry out between 25-35 sessions per week. Throughout the year we received 114 enquiries for counselling, and allocated spaces to 46 new clients. This is an increase in enquiries and placed clients from the previous year, which shows better management of our waiting list in 2024. While 46 out of 114 does not seem like a huge number successfully receiving counselling, many of the enquiries we receive do not end up in counselling due to a variety of reasons. The most common reason being that they live outside our service area, which is currently located in East Grinstead or within a 5-mile radius. While there are other counselling services in the area, none offer affordable counselling. 5 A further 8 clients who enquired in 2023 were placed with a counsellor in 2024, which brings the total number of new clients being seen that year to 54. This is 54 people who may not have received the mental health support they needed had it not been for ACS. Having reviewed the referral sources of those that enquired within 2024, the majority came through an online search, followed by word of mouth and then referrals via the Jubilee Community Centre, Emotional Wellbeing Service, GP/Social prescriber, and local Mental Health Team. **----- Start of picture text -----**
REFERRAL SOURCES
Unknown Mental Health Team Counselling Directory
5% 7% 2%
Word of mouth Mental Health Team
12% Emotional Wellbeing
Service Counselling Directory
10%
Turning Tides Emotional Wellbeing
2% Service
Social Media Social Media
1%
Former client
Former client
7% GP/social prescriber
JCC
NHS
GP/social prescriber Online search
Online search 7%
32% Turning Tides
Word of mouth
JCC
10%
NHS
5%
During 2024, we also continue to see the most enquires coming from females and those aged
between 30-60 years.
REFERRAL SEX
60
53
50
40
30 25
20 17
10
3
0
C O U P L E F E M A L E M A L E U N K N O W N
**----- End of picture text -----**
6 **----- Start of picture text -----**
REFERRAL AGE GROUPS
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Unknow 01/10/2
19-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79
n 018
Total 6 10 11 12 2 4 48 5
**----- End of picture text -----**
The most common reasons for enquiring into counselling during 2024 were due to life events, general mental health issues and trauma. **----- Start of picture text -----**
REASON FOR ENQUIRY
U N K N O W N
T R A U M A
S E L F - A B U S E
R E L A T I O N S H I P S
P H Y S I C A L H E A L T H
L I F E E V E N T S
I N T E R P E R S O N A L S K I L L S
G E N E R A L M E N T A L H E A L T H
B E H A V I O U R A L I S S U E S
A D J U S T M E N T T O S E L F / F A M I L Y
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
**----- End of picture text -----**
In 2024, we continued to see a preference for face-to-face counselling over online counselling, with 54% of sessions carried out in person and 46% carried out online. ACS continues to offer a hybrid service of online (video), telephone and in-person sessions to accommodate counsellor and client preferences. ## Evaluation and Feedback During 2024, we received 11 feedback forms. Feedback forms are sent to all clients when they finish their counselling as a way for us to review the service we provide and make improvements where necessary. It is also good for students and qualified counsellors alike to receive some feedback for the work they carry out. At the beginning of 2024, we changed the process of sending feedback forms to clients and changed the format of the form to make it easier and quicker for clients to complete. While we still do not see a high percentage of feedback forms being completed, the ones we do receive are very valuable. In 7 addition, receiving enquiries via word of mouth and local agencies such as the Mental Health Team and local GP/NHS services, demonstrates that others recognise us as a valuable, professional, and reliable service. Here are some examples of the feedback we received during 2024: _My counsellor gave me a completely safe space to talk about all manner of things. She challenged me and helped me think of ways I could grow in confidence._ _My counsellor was fantastic. So kind and caring. We tried different ways of looking at things and I never felt pressured or silly._ _Helpful to gain understanding on some issues and help to provide perspective_ _My counsellor was very kind and understanding. Their manner helped me to feel relaxed enough to share openly._ _[My counsellor] is brilliant! She really helped to change my view on counselling after several previous attempts with other services in the past, she made me feel welcome, comfortable and really got to know what worked for me. It made such a difference to my journey, and I believe, the progress I made._ _[My counsellor] offered a safe space to talk and share feelings and emotions. She was great, welcoming, friendly, and non-judgmental._ _[My counselling had] a great impact I was able to find my voice._ ## Looking Forward ACS has started 2025 in a very strong position with a good number of dedicated qualified counsellors and students. We have recently accepted a new student, and a qualified counsellor to the team. We look forward to them joining us and helping us continue to deliver high quality counselling at affordable prices. We plan to continue to support the local community with their mental health needs, while ensuring that we are running within our capacity and managing wait times and referrals appropriately. We also aim to provide more support with counsellor CPD throughout the year – delivering one off training sessions on different topics free of charge to the members of our team. ## **Financial Review** The attached financial report shows ACS’s receipts and payments for the year ending 31 December 2024. ACS had a surplus of £13,934 in 2024, resulting in total funds carried forward of £27,850. (Unrestricted £23,799, Restricted £2,430 and Designated £1,621.) The trustees believe the charity has enough resources to keep operating for the foreseeable future and have prepared the accounts on the going concern basis. 8 The Restricted Fund represents monies given by the Albert Hunt Trust in December 2021, for the sole purpose of covering the costs of counselling sessions for clients referred by a local charity, Turning Tides, which focusses on ending homelessness. During 2024, ACS supported 2 clients from Turning Tides, and we are hoping to develop this relationship in 2025. ACS’s main source of income is client fees, however there is a significant shortfall. The funding to meet this shortfall for our clients who cannot pay the full cost of their counselling sessions is mostly achieved through targeted fundraising. In 2024, ACS was generously supported by the following Trusts and Organisations, without whom we would not been able to meet the demands of the service. The Beer-Harris Memorial Trust Sussex Community Foundation Albert Hunt Trust Mid Sussex District Council Jubilee Community Church Foyle Foundation East Grinstead Town Council Charis Counselling Service (Crawley) We express our deepest thanks to these organisations. ACS’s main expenditure includes counsellor fees, rent of counselling rooms and a part-time Counselling Manager. The challenge for the Trustees going forward into 2025 will be to continue to secure funding associated with the costs of administration and management of the service, along with the costs associated with the supervision and placement of student counsellors. No Trustees received payment in 2024 for their service as a Trustee. Since his appointment as a Trustee in April 2021, John Blechynden has only been reimbursed expenses for his services as a Counsellor, rather than receiving the standard rate per session. However, when such matters are discussed, he declares an interest and takes no part in setting the revised fee. No Trustees claimed expenses in 2024. The CIO aims to keep in reserve three months of operating expenses to protect the charity against drops in income or allow it to take advantage of new opportunities. This can also be used for the costs of dissolution should the charity be unable to continue. This report was approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by: Alison Morphew David Pennington **Alison Morphew David Pennington** Chair of Trustees Trustee Date: 06/05/2025 Date: 06/05/2025 9 ## **Receipts and Payments Account - Arise Counselling Service, Training & Related Services 01 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Prior
Year
Unrestricted Restricted Designated Total Funds
Funds Funds Funds Funds 2023
£ £ £ £ £
Receipts
Client Income 30,444 30,444 31,821
Fundraising 579 579 118
Grant 16,700 16,700 10,000
Training/Workshop Income 0 0 0
Voluntary Donations 5,683 5,683 867
Total receipts 53,406 0 0 53,406 42,805
Payments
Counsellor payments 17,790 17,790 22,498
Rent 4,814 4,814 7,484
Supervision & Training Costs 2,575 2,575 2,300
Subsidised Sessions 0 520 520 1,825
Administrator Fees 2,339 2,339 3,330
Advertising & Website 470 470 733
Bank Fees 2 2 0
Charitable Donations to Others 0 0 0
Counselling Manager Fees 7,516 7,516 7,267
DBS Checks 365 365 308
Equipment 237 237 53
General Expenses 389 389 0
Insurance 247 247 247
IT Software & Consumables 317 317 312
Membership Fees 297 297 187
Postage 42 42 15
Printing and Stationery 95 95 32
Professional/Governance Fees 233 233 327
Telephone & Internet 160 160 154
Staff Training Costs 78 78
Fundraising Consultant 987 987 1,218
Trustee Expenses - - - - 0
Total Payments 38,952 520 0 39,472 48,289
Net receipts/payments 14,454 -520 0 13,934 -5,484
Cash Funds Last Year End 9,345 2,950 1,621 13,916 19,399
Cash Funds This Year End 23,799 2,430 1,621 27,850 13,915
**----- End of picture text -----**
10 ## **Statement of Assets & Liabilities - Arise Counselling Service, Training & Related Services** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Year Ending Dec 2024
£
Cash assets as at 31 Dec 2024
Current Bank Account 27,850
Total cash assets 27,850
Represented by Funds
Unrestricted Funds 23,799
Restricted Funds 2,430
Designated Funds 1,621
27,850
**----- End of picture text -----**
## **This financial report was approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by:** ## Alison Morphew David Pennington **Alison Morphew** Chair of Trustees **David Pennington** Trustee Date: 06/05/2025 Date: 06/05/2025 11 ## **Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Arise Counselling Service, Training & Related Services.** This report on the financial statements of the Charity for the year ended 31st December 2024 which are set out on pages 1 to 11, is in respect of an examination carried out under s145 of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). ## **Respective responsibilities of trustees and independent examiner** The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Charities Act”) and that an independent examination is needed. Where the charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 I am qualified to undertake the examination by being a qualified Fellow of the Association of Charity Independent Examiners _._ It is my responsibility to: - examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act, - to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and - to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. ## **Basis of independent examiner’s report** My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. ## **Independent examiner’s statement** In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention: 1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements: - to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and - to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act - have not been met; or 2. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. David R Ralph IEng JP FCIPD MIET FCIE HMCE MLR No. 12338775 6[th] May 2025 50 Southwood Road Rusthall Tunbridge Wells Kent. TN4 8SP 12