Support We Hear You in January’s Charity Poll and Help Provide a Lifeline to Those Affected by Life Threatening Conditions
We Hear You (WHY) is an organisation based in Somerset that provides free, confidential support to anyone with Bath and North East Somerset affected by cancer and other life threatening conditions. Whether an individual has been diagnosed with, bereaved by or affected by a life threatening condition, the qualified professionals at WHY are available to provide free counselling and emotional support.
How Did We Hear You Begin?
We Hear You initially started as telephone helpline Positive Action on Cancer back in 1994. Originally the helpline was set up to support women affected by breast cancer but research demonstrated that there was greater need for a counselling service instead of telephone support. Since 1998, the charity began to evolve providing support services within the local community, not just to those affected by cancer by other life threatening conditions too. It was in 2016 that the charity rebranded to We Hear You (WHY) to recognise the broader range of support they provide.
What Services Does We Hear You Offer?
So many of us will have been affected by cancer or life threatening conditions at some point in our lives, and for many we will have lost someone dear to us as a result. WHY offers a number of forms of counselling for not only people diagnosed with cancer or life threatening conditions, but also for their friends, family and loved ones too. In addition, they also provide their services for anyone affected or bereaved by these conditions at any point in their lives, even if was a long time ago. Their emotional support services include:
Adults Counselling: One-on-one weekly counselling sessions for adults are provided across the Bath and North East Somerset area at a number of locations.
Children and Young People’s Counselling: Offered at a number of community locations, as well as local schools in the area.
Online Counselling: Designed for those who may have difficulty attending sessions or groups, clients can access sessions with a trained counsellor via video link.
Art and Creative Therapies: WHY also offer art therapies for people of all ages, and allows users to express their feelings through creative projects while being supported by trained practitioners.
Mindfulness: Eight week mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) courses via Zoom for those affected directly or indirectly by cancer and life-threatening conditions.
Outdoor Therapy: Six-week courses for people living with and beyond cancer, exploring the benefits nature connection for wellbeing.
How Are We Hear You Funded?
We Hear You provides a free emotional support service with fully qualified counsellors. Across 20 different locations, they provide a minimum of 100 sessions each week. With weekly running costs of around £4400, WHY relies entirely on donations from supporters and local businesses, along with grant-making trusts. We supported WHY back in December 2019, and we are delighted to be welcoming them back for January 2021. You can support their amazing work by voting for them today.
Help We Hear You continue to provide a lifeline to those affected by cancer and other life threatening conditions this January by voting for them in our Charity Poll. Find out more about the services they provide along with how you can support their work at https://www.wehearyou.org.uk/.