For 25 years, a Cirencester group has been helping people who are going through troubled times. Reporter Brendan McFadden met the women behind Cotswold Counselling.

IN NOVEMBER 1989, Georgina Wiltshire dreamt up the idea of setting up a counselling service for women who were struggling with all kinds of issues, from traumatic relationships to bereavement.

She did this because as a member of the Cirencester branch of Soroptimists International, which works to improve the lives of women, she had noticed a need in the town.

Soroptimists members liked Georgina’s idea and set up a management committee to create this new service and so Cirencester Women’s Centre was born.

Over the years, the service has evolved and today is known as Cotswold Counselling (CC), helping hundreds of people across the district each year.

As well as supporting women and men, it also works with schools to help children and specialises in counselling for relationship problems, people who self harm and many more people.

Counsellors at CC’s base at the Volunteer Centre in Sheep Street offer a friendly ear, with Margaret Morgan as manager.

A user of CC , who asked not to be named, said: “The counselling sessions I had turned my life around. When I first came for counselling, I was so low I couldn’t go out, was anxious about talking to people and cried every day.

“Talking through my problems made me realise that I can’t expect things to miraculously change overnight, only I can make that happen.

“It’s also very reassuring to know that I can come back whenever I like and that there will be someone there to listen.”

Another type of counselling CC offers is play therapy for children under 11, which involves drawing and playing with toys.

“Young children express their feelings through play and our councillors are able to interpret this,” Margaret said.

“For example, a child could draw its parents and its father could be further away from its mother.

“A counsellor could then ask them why they have drawn them far apart. It could be that their parents are not getting on well and play therapy allows us to ask them about this.

“Major break ups and bereavement are what children suffer from most.”

CC is more affordable than many other counselling services, people are asked to donate £20 for a first session and affordable donations after that.

Organisations such as Cotswold District Council and Cirencester-based financial management firm St James’s Place also provide grants, but more money is needed.

Nicky, an administrator at CC, said: “We rely on clients funding to keep going these days, we need people to fund us."

lFor more information, see cotswold-counselling.org.uk