A CHARITY which has helped nearly 7,000 young people deal with issues ranging from relationship woes to eating disorders is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Hounslow Youth Counselling Service (HYCS), based in St John's Road, Isleworth, relies mainly on volunteers to help youngsters aged 11-25 talk through their problems.

They had double reason to celebrate the milestone last week after securing a vital grant to help continue their good work.

The City Bridge Trust awarded the charity a £69,000 three-year contract to counsel young people who live, work or study in the borough.

Only last year, HYCS faced closure following proposed council budget cuts, which were eventually rejected after fierce opposition.

HYCS is planning a number of events in the coming year to celebrate its anniversary, beginning with its AGM, which will take place at Hounslow's Paul Robeson Theatre next Friday (June 22) at 4.30pm.

HYCS chairwoman Kate Morris said: "It is a really exciting year for HYCS, celebrating 25 years of service to young people

across Hounslow.

"The invaluable support that the service is able to offer plays a large part in improved outcomes and more positive lives for young people across the borough.

"Despite continuing to expand our capacity to support young people, the service has stayed true to the ethos and culture established since day one, and retained a strong focus on our quality and integrity.

"On behalf of the management committee, I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has been involved in supporting HYCS over the past 25years."

The charity was formed in 1987 by a group of professionals who felt young people needed non-judgemental support to help them deal with the stresses of school and family life.

Since then, 6.751 young people have been helped by the service, with 37,803 counselling sessions delivered, mostly by volunteer counsellors.

With exam pressure and record youth unemployment among the issues affecting young people today, the service is busier than ever.

Last year, it was contacted by more than 780 people seeking support and also helped pupils at six schools in the borough and prisoners at Feltham Young Offenders Institution.

HYCS has a team of 30 counsellors, providing advice on issues including abuse, drugs, mental health problems and much more.

In recent years, it has seen a huge increase in the number of people suffering from anxiety, depression and self-harm.

The charity costs £180,000 a year to run, the majority of which comes from Hounslow Council and schools in the borough.

It recently made a guest appearance on Radio 1, helping to promote youth counselling and raise awareness of the issues facing young people across the UK.

Young people can call HYCS on 020 8568 1818 or via the website www.hycscounselling.co.uk

CASE STUDY (A counsellor at HYCS describes the huge difference the service made to one young woman's life)

Cindy (not her real name), a young woman aged 16 years old arrived at HYCS extremely distressed, agitated, and emotional. She said she couldn’t cope with her life anymore and needed to see someone urgently.

Cindy wanted to run away - leave school, home and disappear away from everyone, especially her parents. She was exhausted from the emotional distress in her life and had had enough. Cindy really did want to end it all.

As we spoke she calmed down a bit and began to think - she wanted reassurance around confidentiality as she didn't want her parents to know she was coming for counselling.

She had put off getting help from anyone as she was frightened it would all get back to her family.

She talked and I listened. She cried and vented her frustration and I listened.

Slowly she began to put her worries into the bigger picture and realised there was help for her, things could be worked out and there were people in her life who cared.

Cindy's OCD symptoms and terrible thoughts, caused by her high anxiety, began to make sense to her. She was able to talk in more detail about the pressures and find ways to make her life easier.

Over several weeks we worked together and agreed on additional help from Hounslow Child Adolescent Mental Health Service. Cindy stayed on at school, completed her A levels and is now off to university. She continues to get additional support from HYCS when she needs it.