Mental health charity begins recruiting for new trustees

A MENTAL health charity based in Henley has three new positions available to steer it into its next chapter.

Riverside Counselling, which is based at the Friends Meeting House in Northfield End, is searching for a new chair of the trustee board and two new trustees to strengthen its governance and future plans.

The charity, which has been serving South Oxfordshire since 1989, provides affordable clinical counselling for adults and young people. The new chair will replace the long-standing Adrian Marsh, who has been a trustee since 2017.

They will provide leadership to the board through its move to a charitable incorporated organisation status, ensuring strong governance, resilience and financial sustainability.

The chair should be able to prove they are a values-led leader who can act as an ambassador with governance experience, who is able to support and challenge the executive and uphold compliance and risk oversight. They must be able to attend six board meetings per year, as well as prepare for key events.

Riverside welcomes trustees from a range of backgrounds, including governance, mental health and charity law.

Trustees act collectively on strategy, legal and financial oversight, risk and advocacy and typically attend six board meetings per year, plus preparation, and the occasional events.

In 2024 to 2025, the charity delivered more than 5,000 one-to-one counselling sessions, with 33 per cent of its clients paying £10 or less.

Philippa, who reached out to Riverside Counselling Service after experiencing postnatal depression following the birth of her second child, said the charity improved her relationship with her husband and children after 44 weeks of counselling. She said: “I had been in therapy in the past, but had stopped partly due to the costs.

“After having my second child, I became a compulsive spender and got seriously into debt. I had a feeling of not being good enough, and I thought if I just bought this next thing, it would fix me.

“The best part of having counselling is having somebody one hour per week  that you can take all your stuff to in a safe space, knowing that you are not going to be judged and to be able to express fears that you might have about yourself.”

Philippa is now able to better manage her emotions and children, who are “the most important humans”.

She said: “It improved my relationship with my husband, my parenting ability and my ability to help my children emotionally regulate. I am calmer with the children now, whereas before, when there was a problem with their behaviour, it triggered me and my childhood memories.

“I realised that I was repeating patterns from my childhood and putting my issues on to my children. My children are the most important little humans in my world.

“It has made a big difference to the whole family, given me an understanding of my own parents and improved my relationship with them. I can’t recommend this service highly enough.”

To apply, send a CV and cover letter to Adrian Marsh or chief executive Sophie Wellings, by Friday, October 31.

Email either adrian.marsh@riverside
counsellingservice.co.uk or sophie.wellings@riverside
counsellingservice.co.uk