Key facts
Area: North East
Grant recipient: Women's Health Advice Centre
Project: Women's Health Advice Centre
Programme: Reaching Communities
Date of award: November 2008
Amount awarded: £223,466
Working out of a terraced house in Ashington, Women’s Health Advice Centre (WHAC) provides free, confidential counselling services for women and girls aged 14+, helping to improve and maintain their mental, physical and emotional well-being.
WHAC received £223,466 funding from the Big Lottery Fund in May 2008 for its Women's Health Improvement Project. The grant meant that the group was able to increase the number of volunteers working at the project so they could help more women who are experiencing low self esteem, mental health issues, anxiety, depression, recent bereavement, domestic abuse and other, more general forms of disadvantage are able to access a varied programme of support.
Service users mainly benefit from the professional counselling offered, along with the self-help support groups which are run on a regular basis. Supplementary activities include the likes of Tai Chi, creative writing courses, confidence building, healthy lifestyle advice sessions, diet and nutrition advice and a `listening ear' service - a form of informal counselling for women more likely to talk to someone they see as a friend rather than a therapist.
Betty, who attended the project during a difficult period in her life, explains how WHAC saved her life.
"Although I was an educated, well travelled and articulate woman, I was completely destroyed when I lost my family and my career in one fell swoop. My whole life had been my family and my career as a head teacher. I had not married but had looked after my parents, who were both amputees, for 20 years. Both my parents and my younger brother died and at the same time I lost my career through malicious untrue allegations which I was not strong enough to fight.
"Without WHAC’s help, support and friendship I would not have survived. I felt the very essence of who I was, was being attacked and destroyed, at a time when I no longer had around me the people who knew and loved me most and who could have reassured me. WHAC provided me with that support. A local GP told me to pull myself together and look to my church and the Health Authority could only offer me six one-off sessions of counselling. But WHAC helped and supported me for the whole duration until I was well again. I had counselling, attended relaxation classes and could pop in any time for friendship, companionship and support.
"I recovered and was later asked to stand as a Northumberland County Councillor - the authority I had worked for as a head teacher. I worked very hard and enjoyed it and became the Assistant Executive Member for Health and Well Being and Law and Disorder. I was a witness as to the scarcity of help available - other than medication - for people who experience the type of mental health problems which I had faced. I constantly testified to the vital work done by WHAC without which I would not have survived.”
Centre Manager, Cath Carey, says: "WHAC’s success is due to the dedication of its staff and volunteers and their commitment to provide services that helps women and their families improve their health and well-being. The work has developed to meet the needs of the women and girls who access the services, but we have managed to retain the supportive, friendly atmosphere that is valued by everyone who comes through the door."