Funding supports community-wide mental health service across Mid-Argyll

Argyll Community Counselling Service (ACCS) is a community organisation founded in April 2025 by five freelance counsellors in response to significant cuts to local mental health services. They deliver professional counselling across multiple locations including Lochgilphead, Ardrishaig, Tarbert, Inveraray, and Lochgair, accepting both professional referrals from healthcare providers and self-referrals from community members aged 16 and over.

Challenges
The catalyst for ACCS's formation was a strategic refocus of a general community counselling service that had been provided since 2011. However, in 2024, organisational restructuring meant the service became restricted exclusively to registered unpaid carers, leaving the broader community without access to free mental health support. This created a substantial gap in local provision, which was particularly concerning given the service had grown from delivering 200 hours annually in 2011 to 800 hours in 2023/24.

The impact of this was immediate and profound. The previous service had built strong relationships with local healthcare professionals who regularly referred clients unable to access alternative counselling provision. Community members now faced lengthy NHS waiting lists or prohibitively expensive private counselling. For a rural area where mental health services are already limited, this reduction left vulnerable residents without essential support during times of crisis, bereavement, trauma, and mental health challenges.

Funding Application
ACCS submitted a funding request for £27,800 to mostly cover the first year's operational costs, with a total project cost of £28,800. The application demonstrated thorough financial planning with a detailed three-year business plan supporting the budget calculations.  The organisation had already secured £1,000 in initial funding and projected additional income of £1,000 from voluntary client donations, demonstrating community investment in the service's sustainability.

Panel Consideration & Award Decision
The local decision-making panel for the fund recognised the exceptional circumstances driving ACCS's formation and the critical nature of mental health service provision. Rather than viewing this as simply supporting a new organisation, the panel understood they were investing in service continuity for a proven model delivered by experienced practitioners.

The panel was particularly impressed by the comprehensive planning evidenced in the three-year business plan, the strong professional credentials of the counselling team, and the robust partnership network already established with local healthcare providers. Letters of support from Primary Mental Health Care Services, medical practices across the region, and the demonstrated track record from the previous service also provided compelling evidence of community need and professional credibility.

The panel awarded the full requested amount of £27,800, with the recommendation that funding be released in two stages. The second payment was made conditional upon presenting a fully costed long term business plan including a sustainable funding strategy within six months of the initial drawdown, ensuring long-term viability planning remained a priority.

The project
ACCS designed a comprehensive 12-month pilot programme to restore and enhance general adult community counselling provision. The service planned to support 40 clients across Mid-Argyll with additional provision for 20 clients in Kintyre (subject to separate funding), delivering between 6-12 one-hour sessions per client based on individual need—totalling 460 counselling hours annually.

This service model emphasises professional excellence and accessibility. All five counsellors maintain registration with recognised professional bodies including the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), Counselling and Psychotherapy in Scotland (COSCA), or the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP). The team offers diverse specialisations including anxiety, depression, trauma, and couples counselling, ensuring clients receive appropriate therapeutic support for their specific conditions.

Key partnerships established with NHS Primary Mental Health Services, local GP practices, and social services created robust referral pathways. The service operates from community venues across the region, offering both in-person and remote counselling options to overcome transport barriers particularly affecting older clients.

To ensure service quality and sustainability, the project included professional development provision with annual Continuing Professional Development courses for all counsellors, bi-monthly team meetings, and comprehensive governance structures including board meetings and annual general meetings. It also intends to offer traineeships to new counsellors as the organisation establishes and develops.

Final Thoughts - Broader Implications
The ACCS case study demonstrates the importance of responsive community funding mechanisms and the significant impact of service cuts on rural communities. When established organisations reduce services due to financial pressures, the ripple effects can leave entire communities without essential support infrastructure.

This case also illustrates the power of practitioner-led responses to service gaps. The five counsellors' decision to establish ACCS represents genuine community ownership of mental health provision, driven by professional commitment rather than institutional priorities. Their willingness to take on governance, fundraising, and administrative responsibilities alongside clinical delivery exemplifies the dedication often required to maintain rural services.

The funding panel's decision to support service continuity while requiring sustainability planning creates an optimal balance between immediate community need and long-term viability. By conditioning the second payment on strategic planning, the award encourages ACCS to develop beyond crisis response towards long term sustainable provision. For community grant-making, this case highlights the value of understanding local service ecosystems and recognising that sometimes the most impactful investments support the continuation of proven interventions under new organisational structures. 

Ultimately, ACCS represents how community funding can bridge critical gaps in public provision, supporting local practitioners to maintain essential services while developing sustainable models for rural mental health support.

Read more about the Nadara A'Chruach Wind Farm Community Fund