Crowdfunding campaign driving support for mental health needs

Alexis Powell-Howard and her team have been supporting their community during the Coronavirus crisis.

AN ambitious campaign to support hundreds of people with their mental health has been launched – and your help is needed.

Jayne O’Flynn, the Director of Driver Hire Grimsby & Scunthorpe and charity fundraiser, aims to raise £10,000 so critical frontline workers and vulnerable people in northern Lincolnshire can access professional, qualified therapy and counselling from multi-national award-winning providers, Fortis Therapy and Training.

Alexis Powell-Howard is the Managing Director of Fortis. She said: “During Covid-19 we have been supporting our community in whatever way we can and we are aware of increasing concerns about the impact that the current situation is having on mental health, with increased anxiety, depression, trauma responses and impacts on relationships and worries about the future. We want to support those people who cannot access therapy, either due to cost, not meeting the thresholds of services, or who are key working and who are struggling.

“Thank you to Jayne O’Flynn who has been very generous in starting this campaign and working hard to raise over £1,000 in under one week!”

Jayne said: “Many people in our community are worried about their jobs, their homes and their futures and need support, and our fundraising will allow them to access the help and support they need at no cost to them. By raising £10,000, the Driver Hire Grimsby and Scunthorpe team can help those in our community who are suffering with their mental and physical health as a result or COVID-19 to access Fortis' therapy services.”

The crowdfunding campaign launched as one of Fortis’ lead therapists began voluntarily working with a key worker who was struggling and needed immediate support. The client said: “The support I have received over the last few weeks from my therapist at Fortis Therapy and Training has been brilliant. I was and still am going through an extremely difficult time, but the support and guidance I have received has given me strength and perspective to carry on.”

Over recent weeks, the UK Small Business of the Year 2019 has been supporting clients online, sharing advice and tips on their social media pages and published a resource hub with free exercises and resources on their website, fortistherapy.co.uk.

Also on social media, Fortis has been running giveaways, delivering Orchids to deserving people who had been nominated by loved ones, and a ‘create your own superhero’ competition so children can get creative and recognise their strengths with weekly prizes to be won.

Alexis added: “We are passionate about supporting people with their mental health especially at this difficult time. As soon as COVID-19 hit the UK we started sharing updates on our social media with ideas, tips and blog posts as well as moving all our services online. This money will enable us to proactively help so many people with therapy free of charge provided by Fortis qualified professionals, meaning we have removed one of the barriers to asking for help.”

Anyone wishing to make a donation to the JustGiving crowdfunding campaign can donate at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/fortistherapyandtraining