our history...

Visyon marked a milestone year in 2024 of providing free support to Congleton families since its founding 30 years ago. The charity was established in response to the tragic suicide of 16-year-old Congleton school girl, Lucy Forrester, by her parents Elizabeth and Richard.

 

Visyon remains the only service offering mental health support, free of charge, to the local community. Through our unique Open Access service, children, young people and their families can receive a face-to-face appointment within 10 days of making an initial call.

 

Children and young people live in an increasingly complex and hyper connected world, which can be hard to process and understand. They are taking the first brave step to ask Visyon for support when they recognise that issues like anxiety, low mood, anger, self-harm or thoughts of suicide are impacting on their day to day lives, relationships, behaviour and ability to achieve their potential. These issues can stem from factors including bullying, bereavement, illness, family challenges and the impacts of poverty. These issues have become more complex since the pandemic and associated lockdowns, interruptions to education schedule and the cost of living crisis. Our registered charity provides free, friendly and inclusive safe spaces from the main base in Congleton and across Cheshire East, ensuring vulnerable children aged 11-19 are heard and have access to the information and support they need to talk openly about their mental health experiences. Our team of qualified counsellors and trained wellbeing practitioners deliver early intervention support to prevent mental health issues escalating and having a negative impact on the lives of young people in our community.

 

To find out more about our services please click here​