A COUNSELLING, advice and support service for young people in Okehampton has received several hundred pounds of grant funding for a project to increase its ability to help more people.

Tor Support Services (TSS) has been in Okehampton since 2009 and has been providing counselling, advice and support for children and young people in Okehampton and its surrounding parishes by helping to resolve personal and psychol-ogical problems. Last year the organisation helped nearly 200 people.

The charity currently has two counselling rooms and it was decided to create an additional room, for which chairs, tables and other equipment needs to be obtained.

The organisation received grant funding for this project from Okehampton Town Council, Okehampton Hamlets Parish Council and money raised from a quiz.

A spokesperson for the organisation said: ‘TSS has grown, particularly in the last 12 months, and we currently have seven professional, qualified counsellors, including a dedicated child sexual abuse counsellor, some of whom are volunteers and additionally a group of diverse and committed trustees.

‘Of course, the reason for growth is that more and more children need our help and we frequently have a waiting list. Most of these children are referred to us by the college and primary schools for a variety of reasons — coming to terms with bereavement, parents who have separated, problems with friends or problems at home, depression and anxiety — particularly with exams at this time of year — children who are self harming and so on.

‘At the moment, we have two counselling rooms in our office and so it was decided, earlier this year, to create a third room to enable us to help and see more children and provide additional counselling sessions too. The new room needs to be equipped with chairs, tables, sand play, pens, paint etc. This project gets underway in the next few months so by the new autumn term it will be available to use.

‘We approached Okehampton Town Council who kindly agreed to grant us £500 towards this project for which we are very grateful. Additionally, we have also received a grant from Okehampton Hamlets Parish Council of £250 and a fund-raising quiz at the Tors Inn, Belstone, raised a further £350.

‘All the trustees, staff and volunteers are extremely grateful for all donations, grants and fundraising events that continue to support this vital charity.’

Okehampton Primary School and some of its feeder primary schools are having a non school uniform day tomorrow (Friday), to raise money for TSS.

For more information about the services offered by the charity or how to donate, visit www.torsupportservices.org.uk