Our history
13 January – BBC report on the activities of the RAYC Service
Report on the activities of the RAYC Service to the Youth and Community Section at BCC discusses the areas of work it undertakes:
- Counselling – carried out by 50 volunteers who have been carefully selected and trained. Telephone manned 24 hours a day and No5 open to callers from 9am-5pm, and 7pm-10pm\The Area Health Authority recently designated No5 as the official referral point for drug addicts and alcoholics. This is seen by the medical profession as an important service, and No5 has built up a good relationship with the various rehabilitation units in the field
- 13 Jul – BCC meeting of the Working Party established by former Youth and Community Section: Revenue Grants to Voluntary Organisations Applications 1977/78 – No5 as an organisation continues to flourish and is increasingly meeting the needs of a great number of young people
- The Director, Ken Humphreys, is involved with the birth of the British Association of Counselling, with NAYPCAS now forming the Youth Division of this umbrella organisation
- August – Reading Rock – 1500 leaflets distributed before the Festival; housed 120-150 young people each night under cover, thanks to the Baptist Church.
Referred to in Germany
At a recent seminar in Germany, the British Delegation presented the work of No5 as a model for co-operation between voluntary and statutory sectors.
New name
New name of No5 Young People’s Counselling, Advice and Information Centre (previously No 5: Reading Area Youth Counselling Service, or ‘RAYC’)
National Youth Bureau comment on report
Report of the Youth and Community sub-committee on the Youth Counselling Advice and Information Centre:
In 1984 the National Youth Bureau stated: ‘Local authorities should ensure that all young people have ready access to appropriate generalist youth counselling and advisory agencies which young people find acceptable.’ The first specialised service was set up in Reading in 1970 and since that time has grown into a comprehensive counselling, advice and information service, locally and nationally recognised under the title No5.
At a national level, Berkshire has led the field initially by the establishment of the Reading Service, No5, one of the forerunners of such services. In addition, County Officers, Reading and Slough staff, have made a major contribution to the development of the National Association of Young Peoples Counselling and Advisory Services since its establishment in 1976.’
Director Appointed
Pete Francis becomes director: “The most rewarding element of working at No5 is the commitment, skill and energy of the volunteer workers. Their professional zeal and ability is the very cornerstone of the agency”
Local Authorities Visit
No5 is the host to delegations from five other local authorities who are about to set up counselling agencies of their own. “No5 is recognised as a valuable model throughout the country” Pete Francis
We’re Rocking at Reading
No5 give assistance to over 3,500 people at Reading Rock!
Young people of the 20th Century
Young people in Berkshire in the last decade of the 20th century: In any life issues can arise which cause distress and hurt, what differs is the capacity of people to cope and the quality of their peer group and family to be havens of security at such times. To seek counselling is one way of gaining help ….the Youth Counselling development came into being because it was known that in order to help young people a particular provision needed to be created. Most significantly such provision became part of an integrated service. The counselling provision helped build up a capability throughout the wider service to provide support for young people seeking support in understanding and acting to change some of their behaviour, responding differently to the environment, being more mature and effective as people.
Example of Excellence
Cited as ‘national example of excellence’ in HMI Report.
Thompson Report
The report on “Youth Counselling Services” published in 1989 detailed how the services provided fit into the overall provision of the service:
‘The Thompson Report recommended that each local authority should provide an integrated approach to youth counselling and information work through youth workers in youth centres, outreach and detached youth work projects and youth counselling agencies. Few authorities have developed such an integrated service, with the strategy and adequate funding to implement it, but two which have attempted to do so are Berkshire and North Yorkshire.
Berkshire has recognised for many years that the main thrust for youth counselling across its youth and community service comes from well-established youth counselling agencies, with their expertise made available to other youth workers through counselling training courses, and their influence encouraging all youth workers to be more concerned with the variety of needs of young people rather than solely making recreational provision for them.’
No5 First Training Course
Innovative exercise, selling the Initial Counselling Training Course to those who aren’t able to volunteer with No5.
Counsellors Increase
Over 80 trained counsellors on the books.
Forefront of innovation
No5 has developed into the country’s premier youth counselling and information service. Being at the forefront of ‘innovation’ in the field and increasing involvement and payback to volunteers to a degree never experienced before.
Over 60 Hours
No5 now provides over 60 hours of counselling/and information and advice from Mon-Fri.
25 Years
25 years since No5 started, one of the leading bodies in young people’s counselling, advice and information in the UK.
National Lottery Grant
£85,800 grant from the National Lottery; new post of Accommodation Worker.
New Housing Access
The Housing Access project began.
BCC Grant Awarded
BCC Community Services Grants Section – No5 awarded £12,625!
National Lottery Grant
£95,350 grant from National Lottery!
Website Launch
The No5 website was created!
Support following the Ladbroke Grove Disaster
Responded to the Ladbroke Grove rail disaster, providing counselling rota cover for the 2 weekends following the crash. No5 also prepared a pack for volunteers on particular aspects of working with clients who have been involved with disasters.
Change of Name
Now called ‘No5 Youth Counselling and Information’.
30 Years
30 years of No5 providing a free and confidential counselling service.
Schools Counselling
Second pilot project for schools counselling proved a success.
In Reading Prison
Six counsellors now working at Reading Prison – have supported over 500 inmates.
Clients 634
The total number of clients 13-19 years was 634.
Counselling in 8 Reading Schools
Schools services now grown to 8. 133 students seen at school by 7 counsellors and 449 sessions (Highdown, Kendrick, Reading Girls, John Madejski Academy, Reading School, Prospect Bridge Unit, Little Heath and Denefield).
Increase in Students at Schools
Increase in clients and sessions in No5’s schools’ services – 138 clients and 546 sessions (John Madejski Academy, Reading Girls, Reading School, Highdown, Kendrick, Prospect Bridge Unit, Little Heath)
Sessions Delivered Up
2007-2008 – Total of 664 clients, 3,850 sessions delivered.
Reading Prison Support Increased
Reading Prison – 35 clients and 158 sessions.
Outreach Sessions Increase
2008-2009 – Sessions delivered in schools and Reading Prison increase: 3,058 (696 in schools and 196 in Reading Prison).
36 counsellors
36 counsellors operating 11 rotas 6 days a week.
First Young Ambassadors
Hayley West and Jemma Addison appointed No5’s first Young People’s Ambassadors.
3,435 sessions
2012-2013 – 3,435 counselling sessions to 487 clients and now regularly providing support to young people in schools in Reading.
More referrals
Delivering more counselling sessions (16% higher than last year) than ever before and have become the recommendation of choice for health professionals, schools and community leaders who are all referring clients to us rather than the other organisations in Reading – all despite having lost RBC funding.
School Counselling Expanded
- Developed schools service and now have 4 counsellors working in Prospect and Kendrick Schools providing 25 sessions a week; also provided a responsive, specialist service to other Reading Schools
- For specific individual pupils at John Madejski Academy, Birch Copse Primary and Denefield, including counselling for students on the autistic spectrum and trauma counselling
Successful fundraising
No5 successfully raised over £100k – the largest in more than 5 years!
Average weekly sessions: 85
Provided over 3,795 sessions to 309 young people and their families; increase on last year, reflecting ongoing demand on our services; average 85 sessions per week, yet our waiting list is testament to greater need for our service.
Fundraising in Memory of Lizzie
- Thanks to Dave Allen’s ‘Good to talk tour’ which raised over £1500 – Dave cycled 732 miles over 10 days, visiting and performing his poetry at a venue in each of the 10 towns/cities he visited. He undertook the tour in memory of Lizzie Lee, our colleague who sadly died in March 2014.
- Launch of ‘Lizzie Lee Fund’ – an annual event during March, in partnership with Dave Allen, Lizzie’s family, her colleagues and RSSL.
Kendrick School Praise
Praise for No5 from the Head of Kendrick School: “We have worked with No5 for almost 15 years and have very much appreciated the vital service they provide to young people in Reading and in particular our own students.”
Pride of Reading Awards
In November 2015 No5 was delighted to be crowned ‘Charity of the Year’ at the Pride of Reading Awards – an incredible achievement.
Early Response
Invested in an early response project designed to tackle the waiting list and enable No5 to see young people within 2 weeks of contacting.
17% increase in sessions delivered
2015-2016: 4,423 sessions to 377 young people; 17% increase on last year.
More Young People referring
2015-2016: 73% increase in the number of children and young people contacting/being referred.
Extended Hours
Service extended to include twilight and Saturday morning rota.
Agencies and LAs come to us
No5 continues to be consulted by other agencies and local authorities who are setting up their own information and counselling services – 11 consultations in the past year.
New NVQs
No5 very involved in the development of new NVQs in advice, guidance, counselling and psychotherapy.
Schools Counselling Expanded
Now provide counselling to 3 new schools: Prospect, Reading Girls and Little Heath, in addition to Highdown and Kendrick.
Weekly Information Service
Over the past year started two new outreach projects – working closely with Connexions and various departments within Reading Prison, No5 has started to provide a weekly information service.
12% Increase
2011-2012 – 2,949 sessions to 495 clients; 12% increase on the previous year.