A NON-PROFIT group that promotes mental health and provides counselling sessions to the community is in need of help to find a new home.

The Listening Post, which is currently based in the Laindon Centre, was opened in November last year by founders Alison Cunningham and Kevin Palmer after they found there was a lack of readily available mental health support in the area.

The centre aims to provide affordable and accessible counselling services for anybody who may be struggling and boost mental health awareness.

Qualified counsellor Alison, who now runs the service alone, said: “While I was doing my qualification, I had to get a placement and it was at that point I realised how badly Basildon needs mental health services.

“What is available is very limited unless you have a specific diagnosed condition or you’re prepared to wait for months on a waiting list.

“So we were looking at all the boundaries and wanted to get rid of them – instead providing a service that is readily available when people need it.

“If people are seeking help for their mental health, they should be able to access it straight away.”

When the Listening Post was opened, they were donated a shop in the Laindon Centre but must now vacate the building by January 2019 as plans to develop the shopping centre progress.

In order to continue their good work, the team are now seeking help to fund a new centre which could also provide room for expansion.

They hope to move into a space in Clay Hill Road, still at the heart of Basildon and in the public eye – something which Alison says is important to the team.

The 44-year-old added: “We have always wanted to break the stigma of mental health because mental health professionals always seem hidden away.

“So we wanted to be public, at the heart of the community, so that it’s no different than visiting your opticians or the dentist.”

The team, which is made up of Alison, a handful of student counsellors and volunteer support staff, have managed to secure vital funding to get the ball rolling but are still seeking to raise £5,000 to complete the move.

Alison added: “We are in desperate need to raise the funds to secure the new place so we can continue to work with the community providing one-to-one counselling and mental health workshops.

“But we also want to develop long-awaited services.

“Our aim is to be open more hours so more people can be seen and we also want to develop our Friday Friends, a coffee afternoon where the community come together and talk.

“In the future, we hope to provide two youth clubs which will offer a safe place for those children going through difficulties such as bullying or care-giving.”

If you think you can help, please visit their fundraising page at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/listening-post