Funding boost helps charity extend reach

A North East family support charity is expanding its services thanks to new funding that will help more people access vital emotional support.

South Shields-based Impact Family Services, which supports more than 1000 domestic abuse survivors each year, has received a £2000 grant from the Banks Group’s Banks Community Fund. 

The funding will provide an additional 100 hours of counselling over the next six months, helping reduce long NHS waiting times for children, young people and families who need therapeutic support.

Catherine Marchant, chief executive at Impact Family Services, said: “Providing counselling to people who’ve been through trauma is an essential part of helping them find positive ways forward, and we set up our in-house service to ensure it would be available when it was needed by our service users.

“This might be a short-term or a long-term arrangement, depending on each individual’s circumstances and needs, but we know that it will help clients process their trauma, develop emotional resilience and improve their long-term mental well-being. 

“Demand for the support, advice and services we offer is sadly continuing to increase, while at the same time, finding the grant funding that is our lifeblood is as challenging as it’s ever been.

“The flexibility of the funding that the Banks Group offered is especially important to us, as it allows us to direct the money towards where we feel it will have the most impact, and we’re really grateful to be getting their backing.”

Jamilah Hassan, community manager at The Banks Group, added: “Impact Family Services helps hundreds of people across our area get their lives back on track after they’ve come through incredibly difficult circumstances.

“The team’s expertise and empathy makes a practical, long-term impact on their lives, and we’re very pleased to be helping them increase the amount of counselling sessions they can offer.” 

Impact Family Services works across South Tyneside and the wider region, offering tailored emotional, practical and therapeutic help to address the complex effects of domestic abuse. 

Aside from a contribution from the Northumbria Police & Crime Commissioners office, the charity receives no statutory funding and needs to raise around two-thirds of its annual budget through grant applications and other fundraising activities.

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