Raj Singh and The Prestige Group fund new counsellor role to support Hartlepool youth mental health charity

Raj Singh and The Prestige Group have announced funding for a new part-time employed counsellor to support The Haven, a highly specialised Hartlepool charity providing free, confidential, face-to-face counselling for young people aged 11–25.

The investment will enable The Haven to increase its frontline counselling capacity at a time of significant and growing demand for youth mental-health support, ensuring more young people across the town can access professional help when they need it most.

Research used by Hartlepool Borough Council indicate that around one in four young people aged 17–19 is likely experiencing mental health difficulties, underlining the scale of need facing communities across the borough.

The findings are particularly significant given that Hartlepool is ranked among the most deprived areas in England, with deprivation widely recognised as a major driver of anxiety, depression and emotional distress among children and young people.

Raj Singh, Chairman of The Prestige Group said: “At The Prestige Group, caring for

people has always been at the heart of what we do, and that extends beyond our business into the communities where we live and work.

“What stands out about The Haven is the professionalism, compassion and commitment behind the service, particularly given the pressures they are working under. It is clear they are making a real difference for young people at a very difficult time in their lives.

“This funding is about strengthening an important local service and helping ensure more young people can access the support they need, when they need it.”

The Haven is a highly specialised Hartlepool charity providing free, face to face counselling for young people aged 11 to 25, with referrals from schools, GPs, social services, youth workers, families and young people themselves.

All counselling is delivered face-to-face by either qualified practitioners or students in their second year on a recognised Diploma course and are BACP-registered with strict safeguarding, vetting and professional standards in place.

The funding will support the charity’s open-ended counselling model, enabling young people to access support for as long as it is clinically appropriate, an approach widely recognised as best practice for those experiencing complex or long-term emotional difficulties including anxiety, depression, trauma, family breakdown and self-harm concerns.

By increasing counselling capacity, the new role will help The Haven reduce waiting times and ensure young people can access sustained, professional support at the point they need it most.

Dawn Grover, BACP Accredited Counsellor and Project Coordinator at The Haven,

said: “This funding will have an immediate and meaningful impact on our service and on the young people we support.

“Demand for counselling continues to grow, and the appointment of an additional employed counsellor allows us to reach more young people while protecting the high professional and ethical standards that are central to our work.

“Local evidence shows that around one in four young people aged 17 to 19 in Hartlepool is likely experiencing mental health difficulties and in a town facing high levels of deprivation that need is both significant and complex.

“For many young people, particularly those dealing with trauma, long term anxiety, family breakdown or self-harm concerns, consistency and time are essential. This investment will help us reduce waiting times, avoid turning young people away and ensure support is not brought to an end before they are ready.

“We are extremely grateful to Raj Singh and The Prestige Group for recognising the

importance of early intervention and for investing in the mental and emotional wellbeing of young people in Hartlepool.”

Raj Singh and The Prestige Group have a strong record of supporting community and humanitarian causes. In 2022, Mr Singh pledged £250,000 in humanitarian aid to those affected by the crisis in Ukraine.

Locally, The Prestige Group has provided significant support to the Hartlepool United

Community Sports Foundation, alongside substantial personal donations by Mr Singh to charities across Hartlepool.

The Group also provides long-term support to The Teesside Family Foundation, a registered charity supporting families and individuals across Teesside who are facing hardship or ill health. That support includes funding respite breaks, as well as backing community and sporting initiatives that promote health, wellbeing and inclusion.

It also supported the Finlay Cooper Fund, established by former Middlesbrough player Colin Cooper and his wife in memory of their son, which supported over 120 children’s causes across Teesside.

This latest funding for The Haven builds on that established pattern of community

investment, responding to the growing need for specialist youth mental-health support in the town.

Raj Singh said: “Hartlepool is a town I care deeply about and giving something back to the community here has always mattered to me.

“Over the years, that has meant supporting different causes, from care services and local charities to work that helps people through sport, education and community activity. It is about supporting the town you live in, helping people where you can, and doing things in a practical way that makes a difference.

Backing The Haven is about making sure professional, compassionate help is there for young people in our community when it is needed and about continuing to support the wellbeing of Hartlepool and the wider area.”