A York charity which offers vital mental health support to women says it has seen a surge in referrals over the last year because of the pandemic.

From its base in The Priory Street Centre, York Women’s Counselling Service says it has provided more than 1,000 counselling sessions this year - a 40 per cent increase on last year, and up 50 per cent from 2019.

Charlotte Walton, the charity’s operations manager, said: “This year, more than any other year, our service has been a vital life-line for women facing the effects of the pandemic.

“We have seen referrals for domestic violence, in particular, surge and as a result we have taken on an additional counselling room as well as 5 more volunteer therapists, bringing our total to 22, to help cope with the demand.

“These essential developments have stretched our resources like never before.”

That’s why the charity’s Christmas fundraising appeal is so important. And all this week – until December 6, in fact – every donation you make to the York Women’s Counselling Service will be doubled thanks to national match-funding campaign The Big Give.

“The Big Give is a fantastic opportunity for local people to support a small, local charity and make a real difference,” Charlotte said.

Founded in 2000, the York Women’s Counselling Service has been delivering life-changing low cost (sometimes free) counselling to women from the York area who often have no-where else to turn.

For Poppy*, the help she received from the charity earlier this year was life-changing.

"When I attended my first session at York Women’s Counselling Service I felt completely broken,” she said “Life was completely overwhelming and then COVID came along which made it unbearable. I didn’t want to be alive anymore. I had experienced so much trauma in my past that putting my trust in a complete stranger felt impossible.

“The therapist was not at all what I expected. She was warm, patient, and understanding. She listened to me in a way no-one had before.

“My therapy journey is not over but York Women’s gave me the safe space I needed to begin reclaiming my life."

For Martha*, counselling wasn’t something she’d previously considered.

“Counselling is not for me. That was the reply I gave to a friend who suggested that I needed help,” she said. “However, on-line I noticed a counselling service which immediately attracted me because it was run specifically by women for women. After 15 minutes I knew I had found the most fantastic person who listened and never criticised or judged me. Before, I felt I was in deep, dark water with no way out. Now I was being thrown a life belt.”

You can make a donation to the York Women’s Counselling Service’s Christmas fundraising appeal at yorkwomenscounselling.org

Donations made before December 6 will be doubled at no cost to you thanks to The Big Give.

Names with an *have been changed