Northampton counselling service celebrates 40th anniversary

A much-loved Northampton charity has been working to support people across the county with their mental health for 40 years this August.

The Manna House Trust, based in St Giles Street, which received official charity status on August 23 1982, first opened its doors to the “now well-respected and professional” counselling service in June 1985.

It began with one volunteer working one hour a day, and has grown to have 29 trained counsellors - 21 of whom are volunteers - offering more than 250 sessions a month.

David Hill founding member and trustee of The Manna House Trust said: “It was certainly beyond our dreams that we’d still be going strong after 40 years and that our counselling service would be a major support to many.

“We are privileged to have so many staff, who give their time and energy to provide a first-class service that everyone can be rightly proud of.”

To mark the anniversary, the charity has made one of the founding trustees, Keith Davidson, honorary president to pay tribute and thanks to his 40 years of service.

On receiving the news, Keith said: “I saw the need to help folks in their walk through life and I was pleased to start The Manna House Trust in 1982.

“Being asked to take on this role was a pleasant surprise.”

To date, the service has helped 5,500 clients during 57,000 counselling sessions and has an “impressive” estimated social impact of more than £26 million - which is a way of measuring the social and economic value of the service and the impact on people.