GENEROUS Wellington Weekly News reader Roderic Sparks has given Wellington Community Counselling (WCC) £10,000 after reading a story about the service in the paper earlier this year.

Mr Sparks also highlighted the coronavirus crisis as a reason for his donation in a letter to WCC founder and director Rhonda Lovell. “I clasped the letter to my heart and just whooped,” said a delighted Rhonda. “That appeal actually reached someone’s heart.”

Most of WCC’s funding comes from grants but all grant applications have been paused because of the coronavirus emergency.

Mr Sparks in his letter said: “Having seen your recent appeal in the WW News, and given the current coronavirus situation, I feel I am in a position to offer some form of assistance.

“The aims of WCC are laudable – especially the provision of free/affordable support at the point of need in the local community. Whilst in the short term your services may well be curtailed, when normalcy returns there could be an increased demand.

“Therefore, I would be grateful if you would accept the enclosed unconditional donation in support and furtherance of the aims of Wellington Community Counselling CIC.”

WCC has also recently been successful in an application for £10,000 from Taunton Women’s Aid to support victims of domestic abuse. Rhonda said: “The money is for victims of abuse and their children to have counselling for free with us. Anyone wanting to make use of this service can contact us via the website or our phone number, as long as it is safe to do so.”

The community interest company has received another £2,350 from Somerset Community Fund’s Coronavirus Response and Recovery Fund to provide a virtual counselling service to help people with their well-being needs. Face-to-face counselling is no longer available because of the disease.

WCC has also taken out a ten-year lease on the gazebo building in the car park at the Asda supermarket in Wellington town centre to turn into a Community Well-Being Centre. Rhonda said: “It will be turned into the Wellington Community Counselling’s base – the plan is to run lots of group-based activities from the site.”

A planning application has gone in for change of use and funding applications are in place to meet the costs of running it. A grand opening is planned when restrictions imposed as a result of coronavirus are lifted.

WCC supports about 40 people a week through six counsellors based in the town. Clients who can afford it pay £40 an hour with ‘affordable counselling’ at £20 and free counselling also offered.

Rhonda added: “WCC has been in operation for three-and-a-half years and is very well established in the community. We are in a position to be able to offer help, free of charge to people in the community, and those who are carers and front line workers. We can be contacted on 01823 765144 or via our website where you can fill in a referral form.”

Anyone who would like to find out more about the service or support it by donating should visit www.wellington-counselling.co.uk