A local charitable organisation has recently set up in new offices in Dudley town centre.
The Arts of Change Trust team have recently moved into Holloway Chambers in Dudley and are providing vital counselling and therapy services to a wide range of local people, including Key Workers and front-line staff involved in the fight against coronavirus across the West Midlands region.
The charity has been supporting The Arts of Change Ltd which was founded in 2014 by Dramatherapist and CEO - Christian Dixon, supporting individuals of all ages, couples, families and organisations, by using not only traditional ‘talking’ therapies including psychotherapy and CBT, but also creative arts therapies including art therapy, play therapy, dramatherapy and dance movement therapy, and helping clients reach their goals, making long-lasting recoveries, whilst instilling self-confidence and greater self-esteem.
They are running several exciting and dynamic projects, including two brand new initiatives called the ConnectME which offers free counselling and therapy for adults across the West Midlands affected by COVID-19, which has been funded recently by The National Lottery. Individuals receive up to six free therapy sessions daytime or evenings and there are no waiting times. The Creative Orchid Project funded by Dudley Voluntary Council Service which again is free for adults to explore a range of emotional, physiological and psychological Issues through weekly art and crafts groups.
They also provide their existing, award-winning services including professional counselling & therapy services for all ages at affordable and extremely quick booking times with self-referrals accepted and ProjectME Mindcraft which is funded by BBC‘s Children in Need, again providing free therapy and counselling support for children and young people aged 3-18 years with mental health concerns.
The centre is also backed by Dudley North MP Marco Longhi who said it can achieve great things in Dudley.
Mr Longhi said: "It was a real pleasure to meet with Christian on Friday to celebrate the well-deserved Lottery Grant and discuss how I can support the AOC, as a provider of counselling services to the community, moving forward. This is especially important during these challenging times and it was great to ‘be on the same page’ as Christian with this.
"As a mental health champion, I felt it was important to facilitate meetings with several stakeholders across the region to support the AOC. I have also introduced the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Cllr Nic Barlow, to Christian opening the possibility for greater collaboration across the West Midlands Combined Authority.
"By working together, we can achieve great things supporting our communities."
Christian Dixon, Chief Executive of the AoC Trust said;
“The AoC Trust have a dedicated team of about twenty staff including management, trustees, administration and professional therapists and counsellors.
We also provide a successful, enhanced accredited child contact centre called ACC Dudley Contact Centre, which is fully regulated by The National Association for Child Contact Centres.
We currently secured funding to offer a number of non-resident parents, wishing to connect with their child/ren, free contact sessions, which in these times would be a much needed provision.”
“Our work has proved to be exceptionally vital now, especially with the rise in mental health, and emotional wellbeing concerns becoming front and centre to many who have been directly or indirectly affected by Covid-19.”
“Since quarantine, we have supported hundreds of families, couples and individuals including paramedics, nurses, school teachers, army personnel, children, young people, parents, students, and much more feel better, and happier in themselves: more confident and stronger; emotionally; physiologically; and psychologically.”
“The AoC Trust supports a wide range of organisations including local councils, schools, private companies, other charities: including women’s aid, church organisations, foster agencies and many more."
“The AoC Trust prides itself by keeping waiting times very short. Once we receive a referral you are often getting counselling or therapy within days or weeks rather than months, and currently provide either face-to-face, telephone or zoom support.”
"Our work has proved to be exceptionally vital now, especially with the rise in mental health and emotional wellbeing concerns becoming front and centre to many who have been directly or indirectly affected by Covid-19."
The team offer professional counselling and therapy services for all ages with self-referrals accepted. As part of the Children in Need funded ProjectME Mindcraft, they also provide free therapy and counselling support for children and young people aged three to 18-years-old with mental health concerns.
To find out more about the Arts of Change, call 01384 211168 or email [email protected]
