Charles Russell Speechlys announces Place2Be as its Charity of the Year 2018

Charles Russell Speechlys is pleased to announce that Place2Be has been chosen as its Charity of the Year for 2018.

The firms fundraising will help Place2Be to sustain and develop its vital mental health services which currently reach 282 primary and secondary schools across England, Scotland and Wales. Three children in every classroom have a mental health problem and this funding will help Place2Be to reach those children in the safe and familiar space of their school.

By providing emotional and therapeutic support, Place2Be helps children to cope with a range of issues including bereavement, bullying, domestic violence, family breakdown, neglect and trauma. The funding will support Place2Be to deliver one to one counselling to children with more severe needs, as well as a lunch time service which any child can access and speak to a counsellor about whatever is on their mind.

Place2Be also works with parents and school staff to help them better support children at home and in the classroom. As a result Place2Be is helping to create mentally healthy schools where children can learn and thrive.

Through its training of school-based counsellors, Place2Be will also ensure that there are enough professionals available to support children’s mental health in schools. In the last year alone, Place2Be trained over 1,000 child counsellors at various stages of their career.

Senior Partner and Chair of the CSR Committee, Christopher Page, said: "We are delighted to be starting a partnership with Place2Be this year and are looking forward to helping this excellent organisation achieve its strategic aims."

Director of Fundraising at Place2Be, Vicki Bednall says: “We are absolutely delighted to have been selected as Charles Russell Speechleys new charity partner. We know from our work in schools that many children across the country need mental health support and by intervening early, we can help to prevent issues from becoming more serious in later life. Thanks to this partnership, we will be able to meet the growing demand for our work and reach even more children and families.”