The Lucy Rayner Foundation is a mental health charity based in Surrey. We offer 6 free counselling sessions to young adults aged between 14 and 39 as well as a number of other support services to those suffering with their mental health. We were set up after the Rayner Family tragically lost their 22-year-old daughter Lucy, to suicide. Alongside our amazing counselling service, we also run weekly support groups, a monthly coffee morning titled ‘Just Talk’, and a Surrey Suicide Bereavement Service in which we support those bereaved by suicide. In addition to this, we visit schools and companies to ensure they are clued up with necessary mental health knowledge. Such as how to recognise if someone is suffering, how to be emotionally resilient, and what to do should you think yourself or someone you know needs help.
Since January, we have seen a vast increase in the number of referrals with the record number of referrals so far seen just a few months ago, in February. In this month alone we saw 164 people refer themselves to our service. To put this into perspective, we offer each of these referrals 6 sessions and we fund these by paying £25 to a counsellor for each session. That means that the referrals in February alone cost the charity £24,600.
Throughout the year, we host a number of fundraising events in which we aim to raise as much money as possible in order to allow us to continue funding our vital services. The charity relies solely on the generosity of our supporters, grants, and funding to facilitate our support services and so we are always looking to get new people on board by telling our story and sharing our knowledge.
If you are interested in getting involved with the charity, we would love to chat to you about the capacity in which you are happy to collaborate. Email info@thelucyraynerfoundation.com to start the conversation!
Visit the Lucy Rayner Foundation website for further information.