Charity

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As associate members of UKAHPP (UK Association of Humanistic Psychology Practitioners) we adhere to their ethical codes and procedures.

Member of BAPCA (The British Association for the Person-Centred Approach).

Ffynnon Patron: Lay Canon Professor Brian Thorne, FBACP, FCollP, FRSA .

Ffynnon Director: Jonathan Skipper MA, Dip Surv, PCAT cert.

Ffynnon PPD is now a Company Limited by Guarantee and is about to become a Registered Charity, this is an overview as to why this has come about.

Ffynnon PPD's vision for our day-events programme has now become a reality, it is well established and has been corroborated and wholeheartedly supported through the commitments made by the highest calibre of speakers offering day conferences, seminars and workshops. We have received a great deal of encouragement and support from counsellors, care professionals and pastoral workers including vital organisations and institutions in North Wales, its border counties and beyond. They need, appreciate and like what we are doing here and they want us to keep going!

Unfortunately and despite setting prices for the events as low as we can there is clear evidence to suggest that they are still not affordable and therefore not regularly accessible to many. This sadly shows that our original visionary policy of accessibility and affordability has not yet been achieved; in essence these events are a luxury item to many workers in the region (this is something worth noting, when compared with other locations in the UK particularly in the South of England, events of this high standard would likely be twice the price or more and would be fully booked within days of advertising them).

Under our present circumstances we can only keep our programme going and reduce our prices further if we raise funds to supplement these worthwhile and essential events. I can only attempt to emphasise that not only our endeavours but also the work of counselling and care professionals tend to be vocational and tend not carry generous salaries, many of these jobs are part time and a lot of them are voluntary posts, therefore we need to somehow accommodate for this in our prices.

It is evident that we are possibly the only organisation of our kind in North Wales and Shropshire and maybe far into Cheshire. The UK does have some high quality counselling and care training and provision however there are pockets in our country such as North Wales that, over the years have missed out, particularly where CPD is involved, and have perhaps been neglected in many ways, these areas are certainly in need of encouragement and support in such vital areas of work for individuals and communities alike.

In the May 2009 edition of the BACP’s ‘Therapy Today’ news column there was an article that further highlights this point;

“On average across Wales there has been a 3.5% increase in the prescribing of antidepressants during 2008 despite national guidance advocating alternative treatments. The Welsh Assembly Government said it had invested significantly in mental health services in recent years. But doctors in Wales said there was a lack of support services available for sufferers and they were left with no option other than to prescribe drugs like Prozac.

Dr David Bailey of the British Medical Association (BMA) Cymru, said patients often had to wait five or six months for therapy because of a lack of funds and skilled practitioners. “I know the Assembly is trying to find money to improve the access to CBT and counselling. But there is a skill shortage as well as a money issue. There aren’t enough skilled practitioners able to provide these therapies in Wales.”

We believe that we are now engaged with the beginnings of successfully bringing together what appears to be a fragmented therapeutic community here, we hope that this will continue to encourage networking, good practice and increase public awareness of, and confidence in, the services on offer in the region.

Organisations such as Ffynnon PPD need to survive and thrive and continue to offer and develop high quality, independent and thought provoking varieties of conferences, workshops and groups that supplement and nourish the care professional’s personal and professional life.

With your support we can continue to offer high quality personal and professional development events to practitioners here that are delivered by eminent presenters from across the globe as we have been to date. We can maintain and develop a networking forum and we can look forward to creating a residential centre here in North Wales. With your encouragement and backing we can continue to have a positive influence on services in the region and on many more practitioners by keeping the events truly affordable.

Please contact Jonathan or Susie to find out about supporting Ffynnon PPD.