Harborough counsellors to take the plunge in charity abseil to support more people during cost of living crisis

Local charity counsellors are taking on a fundraising abseil to support more people during the cost of living crisis.

Three members of The Bower House – Cara, Jane and Joseph - are abseiling down the 418ft-high National Lift Tower in Northampton on October 1 to raise money for the charity, which offers a Christian counselling service open to all faiths.

Group spokeswoman Cara Thompson says the team decided to take the plunge after realising current global events are placing residents’ mental health under added strain.

She said: “We know lack of finance is acknowledged as a life stressor and we also know Covid and the war in the Ukraine have been in addition to the stressors previously logged. People’s mental health is under much more pressure.”

The charity – has been running for some 20 years - has recently undergone building work to its Coventry Road site which saw it relocate to the outskirts of Harborough.

But it is set to reopen in the town centre on Friday September 23, and counsellors say the service has been in demand since the start of the month.

Cara added: “Our recent building work meant we relocated for a time to the outskirts of Harborough, and we normally see a slight drop off in the summer due to it being the holiday season. We are trying to prepare to re-open at the end of the week– but we have certainly seen an increase in phone enquiries since the start of September.

“The Bower House has served the community for over 20 years but relies on client donations and grants to run - it receives no money from the NHS or government. In view of the cost of living crisis, keeping the service open has never been more important and with our own rising costs, we are keen to do what we can to raise any money.”

The charity provides 3,000 hours of counselling a year and offers help for those who self-refer, with many adults and children signposted by GPs and mental health teams.

Visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bowerhouseabseil to donate.