Developing services comes at a cost

Based in Yaxley, demand for the services of the Young People Counselling Service (YPCS) has trebled over the last three years, and waiting lists can be up to 3 months long. In the post-Covid world, funding core costs is a concern, and some of the major funders have recognised this, enabling essential services relating to mental health to make applications for core funding.

Staff members carrying out multiple roles, supporting the services and the organisation, find that income generation becomes part of their role. YPCS contacted Hunts Forum for advice on their funding applications for core costs to significant funders and charitable trusts, working with someone without experience applying for funding.

A key challenge highlighted early on to the Development team was ensuring that the Trustees and other operational staff supported the staff member in carrying out this task.

Therefore, the Hunts Forum team worked with YPCS to breakdown the work of the organisation to make it easy for funders to quantify and understand what was needed to fund, together they also looked at some of the development goals over the coming year, understood the demography of the areas they where worked in, anticipate what funding will be looking for and a strategy about what to ask for.

After attending a few on-line funding sessions with Hunts Forum, I reached out to Kathy and asked her if she would check through a grant I had started for a major funder. It was at that moment, I realised that I had a lot to learn and a lot to go back to the wider charity with! Kathy’s knowledge, advice and her time have been so helpful to us. The free service and support provided by voluntary groups for voluntary groups is indispensable and appreciated so much by YPCS.

Samantha Ronney, YPCS