Long-standing town centre estate agent Nick Kier of Lane and Holmes in St Loyes Street, and friends at the Rotary Club of Bedford Park, have launched a crowdfunding campaign, using the GlobalGiving platform, to help local young people receive counselling for anxiety and depression. 

Their campaign to “Accelerate Mental Health Recovery in Bedford Youth” hopes to raise at least £3,600. This will provide an extra 240 one-hour one-to-one therapy sessions at Bedford Open Door, a Registered Charity, which provides free counselling for young people aged 13-25 who live in or near Bedford.

Fewer than 1 in 3 children and young people with a diagnosable mental health condition get access to NHS care and 34% of those who do get referred into NHS services, are not accepted into treatment. As a result, Bedfordshire Open Door has a current waiting list of 70 young people.

The Rotary campaign aims to cut that list by 20-30 or more if they can exceed their fundraising target. 

With increasing instances of suicidal thoughts, trauma and self-harming, this help can’t come a moment too soon, according to Rotary Club of Bedford Park President Steve Peacey. 

“It takes a lot of courage for a young person to ask for help” he said, “That’s the moment they need to see a trained counsellor. We are asking people and businesses to help us make that happen here in Bedford.”

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