Connect Christian Counselling Service 8 Moat Street, Donaghadee, BT21 ODA AGM Report 2025
Over the past year, Connect Christian Counselling Service has continued to fulfil its vision of offering a safe, professional counselling service to the community - free of charge. This vital support has been made possible through the unwavering commitment of our volunteer team, which currently includes nine counsellors and three administrative staff. Their work is thoughtfully overseen by our Management Board, comprised of members from the local community who provide steady leadership and guidance to ensure the integrity and effectiveness of our practice.
Every Connect volunteer is very dedicated to both the service and the individuals we support. Since our inception in 2003, we have received 1,072 requests for our counselling service. In the period following our last report, 68 new clients have been seen, with 14 still awaiting allocation for counselling. Of course a number of clients are continuing their sessions from the previous year, as we offer therapy that is responsive to each person’s unique needs rather than imposing a fixed session limit. At any given time, our counsellors typically work with between two and six clients.
Demand for our service remains consistently high, with a significant number of referrals coming through NHS channels - including GPs, Community Mental Health teams, and the McQueen House Assessment Centre at Newtownards Hospital; as well as from individuals who self-refer.
We operate on 2 evenings and 1 morning each week, giving a maximum of 18 sessions each week, as we are limited by the size of our premises, and volunteer availability. Unfortunately, this often means that we have a waiting list for our service, and some clients must wait months for an appointment. Our waiting times are comparable to other small agencies.
The counselling team appreciate the hard work of our management board members, for their encouragement and diligent oversight of the service.
To meet the practice standards set by our professional bodies, all counsellors are required to complete 25 hours of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) annually. In support of this, Connect generously organised a training session in April 2025 focused on working with Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse, delivered by Alison Clarke.
We have continued to help young clients, since lowering our age threshold to 16year-olds several years ago. We are fortunate to have several trained — Children and Young People’s counsellors, on our team.
We are grateful for the ongoing support provided by our external supervisors. To maintain professional registration, each counsellor is required to undertake one and a half hours of supervision every month. This essential provision continues to represent the organisation's most significant financial commitment.
Two of our accredited counsellors hold qualifications in supervision, enabling us to provide in-house supervision for part of the team. Our most experienced counsellors continue to receive external supervision, in line with best practice
guidance that recommends separation of supervisory responsibilities from line management—though this is not a formal requirement. Alongside supervision, we also manage active client caseloads, ensuring continuity of care and professional standards.
In the year ahead, we remain committed to upholding the high professional standards that have defined our practice over the past 22 years, while striving to support as many individuals facing mental health challenges as possible. Although our waiting list is not diminishing as swiftly as we would hope, we continue to work towards reducing this to give quicker access to our service.
The volunteers are serving in this ministry, by giving of their valuable skills and time, week after week, but this service also only continues because of community support and through all our prayers. =
Position: Directorof Counselling 4" October 2025