Sunderland Counselling Service are an amazing charity offering support across the whole North East ranging from Berwick to Darlington. They offer a huge range of services specialising in Bereavement Counselling, Living with Cancer and End of Life Counselling, Trauma Counselling for Survivors of Sexual Violence, Workplace Occupational Health Counselling and Counselling for Children and Young People meaning they are an inclusive service catering for everyone. In support of this, I’m going complete a 15,000 ft skydive on the 16th of March, aiming to raise as much funding as possible for Sunderland Counselling Service.

Last year, I received first hand support from Sunderland Counselling Service and I cannot put into words how much this helped me get through a difficult time. This experience has completely changed my opinion on mental health as a whole and really put into perspective the impact poor mental health has on an individual and the people around them. Mental health is still very much a taboo subject amongst many and is definitely not talked about as much as it should be due to the stigma attached to it. The only way to remove this stigma is through talking about difficulties openly and without judgement. Charities such as Sunderland Counselling Service are a crucial part of this ensuring no one has to go through life’s hardships alone, offering non judgemental support to everyone.

Donating to Sunderland Counselling Service will ensure people across the North East and potentially close family and friends to receive life changing support when they need it most - just as I did. I simply cannot recommend their services enough and hope this leap of faith will encourage at least one other person to get the support they need, without fear of judgement.