Weekender: Mental health charity opens £1m support facility

Wellspring Therapy & Training, a mental health support charity, has opened a new £1m facility in support of adults, children and teenagers in the area seeking emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing.

The new centre in Harrogate, which officially opened 25 September, is quadruple the size of the charity’s previous home.

It will be used to offer affordable counselling and training for the local community. New services will also be offered, including play therapy for children under the age of 8.

The investment was made due to the Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation and  many other trusts, foundations, individuals and businesses – including Ethos Asset Finance, who came on board to support the charity at the beginning of the year.

Emily Fullarton, director at Wellspring, says of the launch: “The launch of the Centre today was a very proud moment for me and all the other volunteers who give their time to supporting those people within our local community who turn to us for help.

“It would not have been possible without the support of the Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation and our other supporters, so thank you to everyone who has played their part in getting to where we are today.

“The facts around poor mental-health are shocking and the UK is a long way from providing for those struggling with emotional distress or poor mental-health. 16 million people in the UK experience a mental illness in their lifetime, that’s 1 in 4 adults – so the work we do in our community is so incredibly important.”

The launch event was attended by 200 people. Wallace Sampson and Bishop Nick Baines attended as guest speakers.