RELATE Mid Wiltshire has been celebrating this week after being awarded more than £200,000 by the Big Lottery Fund’s Reaching Communities grant to be put towards providing counselling services to vulnerable children across the county.

The Time to Talk project aims to give support to youngsters aged seven to 11 who are experiencing severe emotional distress including anxiety, bereavement, family conflict, divorce, ill-health and lack of self-worth affecting their everyday lives.

The Trowbridge-based charity, which serves north, east and west Wiltshire, said the project will benefit 450 primary school children living in deprived areas across the county each year and 27 schools are so far involved in the project, including The Mead Academy Trust.

Kirsty Jamieson, head of inclusion at the trust, said she has been delighted to work with Relate and the trust will soon be welcoming the provision at River Mead and Castle Mead in September.

She added: “The Mead Primary School in Trowbridge has accessed this service over a number of years and now considers it to be a central part of our provision for the most vulnerable children. Time to Talk offers early support from highly skilled and experienced practitioners and the positive impact for the children has been clearly evident.”

The £201,985 grant has secured the future of the project for the next three years which will be supported by an additional £90,000 from Wiltshire Council and contributions from individuals schools over this time.

The service sees counsellors use creative play, puppets, artwork and models to help children express and understand their feelings better, communicate more effectively and where appropriate, offer children strategies to cope with circumstances that they cannot change.

Penny Prosser, chief executive of Relate Mid Wiltshire, said staff were over the moon to find out the news.

She added: “We are thrilled to receive this funding, which ensures Time to Talk can continue to support children in Wiltshire for the next three years.”

Lyn Cole, Big Lottery Fund England grant making director said: “It’s wonderful when we hear the stories of how, through these great projects, people have overcome barriers, learned new skills and improved their lives.”

More information on Relate’s services can be found at www.relate.org.uk/mid-wiltshire