In 1994 visyon was created out of the experiences of the families of three young people, who committed suicide in Congleton. It was the feeling of hopelessness and despair felt by the parents of one of the young people after she died that led them to contact others who had an interest in young people’s mental health. The desperate actions taken by the young people could have been avoided if focused and specialist support for young people had been more readily available.
A group of local people got together, comprising and consulting with many professionals who all agreed that a readily accessible support service was needed for young people.
After several meetings a core of people emerged who formed the first management committee.

1995
This year saw much national and local research. Volunteer training started but the first fundraising application was not successful. Undaunted, the group defined its Objectives and drew up a Constitution. National statistics showed high rates of suicide among young people and apparent attempts at suicide rising in young women. Only three other agencies offered similar services in the country.
Young people said they would welcome a haven to call on if life was too difficult.
The local residential mental health unit was closed leaving a 20-week waiting list at the nearest unit in Chester, an eternity for disturbed and unhappy young people.
Local businesses and individuals with an interest in mental health began to attend meetings. The decision was taken that the qualified staff would be supported by trained counselling and youth work volunteers.
A donation of £500.00 came from the East Cheshire Trust, only a fraction of the estimated start up budget and costs for the first year of full operation of £43,000.
The first fundraising events were held but these were only raising small amounts.

1996
The first AGM was held in January and the group applied for charitable status, granted in December.
For the second time, an application went to South Cheshire Health Authority for funding. Money from local supporters started to come in.
After a slot on Granada Community TV, more volunteers arrived.
The first trustees were nominated.
Local MP Ann Winterton agreed to be the patron.
The first volunteer counsellor started work.
Support was offered to a local school where the teachers were having difficulty in handling the grieving young people after a pupil died.
Trustee and volunteer training was underway.

1997
During a Parliamentary debate on mental health, Ann Winterton talked about the origins of visyon and its hopes for the future.
The South Cheshire Health Authority awarded a grant of £75,000 over three years;
visyon could employ a Project Manager.
After an appeal for premises, 43a West Street, Congleton was offered by a local businessman, volunteers worked hard to make it suitable and visyon moved in.
More volunteers arrived, including counsellors, and the doors opened in September with a few bits of furniture.
The clients escalated rapidly and everyone was on a steep learning curve.
Visits to schools, training, fundraising, finance management and policy making were now begun in earnest.
In November visyon began a counselling service at a Congleton high school.

Celebrations outside 43a West Street, Congleton, visyon's first premises

1998
In January, was the official launch day.
Work began at a second Congleton high school.
File on Four TV featured visyon and more volunteers arrived, many helping with fundraising.
Clients continued to increase, putting a heavy load on two staff, with volunteers undertaking all the other work in the charity.
Further small grant funding was obtained from various sources.
80 clients were counselled in the year.

1999
The third paid member of the team joined; the After Schools Worker.
visyon began to support pupils in Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School.
Business training was undertaken to learn how to run the organisation more efficiently.
The volunteers, with help from Youth in Action, started the huge task of clearing the garden.
visyon was beginning to be known and presentations were made to Mental Health Conferences.
149 clients were counselled in the year.

2000
After previously unsuccessful applications, the Lottery agreed a grant of £380,000 over three years; jobs were safe; the recruitment process could continue.
The premises were expanded into adjacent property and v i s y o n started to run courses to help young people with life skills, the first being Anger Management.
visyon counselling was being recognised by social, education and health service professionals.
179 clients were counselled in the year.

2001
The Lottery grant enabled the charity to offer regular counselling in all 7 schools in Congleton Borough.
A Tudor Trust grant of £60,000 over 3 years supported the rest of the costs.
Outreach to the 16 to 25 year olds began, allowing the original counsellors to continue their work in schools and at visyon HQ.
The original management committee was disbanded and a new board of trustees was set up.
206 clients were counselled during this year.

Lady Winterton MP opening the garden at West Street after much work had been done

2002
A Comic Relief grant of £81,000 was awarded over three years.
A European Social Fund grant supported the development of the web site.

The garden project was finally officially opened in September and was to be known as “Lucy’s Garden”.
The first administrative worker was appointed.
302 clients were counselled during this year.

visyon launches its on-line counselling service 'e-motion'

2003
The e-motion website was launched in April.
With a grant from Volunteering England, a Volunteers Coordinator was appointed.
visyon started counselling in Northwich and Winsford under an agreement with Connexions.
The music workshops were proving a great success and the first visyon music CD recorded by young people was released.
There were 380 clients counselled in the year. Many more young people were supported in a variety of different ways.

2004
The second Community Fund (Lottery) grant of £225,000 over three years was awarded.
visyon's costs were now some £230,000 per year to run.
The organisation celebrated 10 years of visyon and its services to young people and a successful open day was held.
The organisation became a charitable company limited by guarantee, led by a Board of Directors (still known as the trustees).
403 clients received counselling this year.

2005
After several attempts to address the funding situation, there were major financial issues on the horizon.
As a new venture, counselling hours were supplied to the online service, www.kooth.com, a collaborative group comprising Cheshire County Council, the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and Connexions.
385 clients received counselling.

2006
There were serious doubts about the ability to carry on because of the financial situation. However, visyon decided to ask the schools to make a substantial contribution to the cost of supplying the service to them. Five of the seven high schools agreed.
visyon secured a fourth year of Development Fund money from Connexions to continue the work in Northwich, Winsford and Middlewich and received a second sum from the J Paul Getty Foundation.
More services were offered for which a charge could be requested.
A new membership scheme was launched.
The management and the sub-groups of the trustees were re-structured with nominated trustees on each group and a full reporting structure to the main board put in place.
The need to fill the post of fundraiser was crucial to visyon and towards the end of the year, a Finance and Fundraising Consultant was appointed.
330 clients received counselling.

2007
Extended Services in Macclesfield asked visyon to supply counsellors to All Hallows and Fallibroome High Schools.
The Connexions Development funding continued and a grant of £105,000 over three years was received from CRH Charitable Trust (Cheadle Royal Hospital).
A greater role was taken in the external world with staff members attending:
The Local Implementation Group for Central and Eastern Cheshire Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
Congleton Borough Local Strategic Partnership’s Children and Young People’s Delivery Partnership, representing the Voluntary and Community Sector.
Cheshire CAMHS Commissioning Board
The Cheshire Children’s Trust, representing the VCFS.
Two more of the Congleton High Schools decided that they could not afford to keep their counsellor, but other negotiations were underway with Knutsford and Poynton High Schools, which subsequently came to fruition, although Poynton has since withdrawn from the service for financial reasons.
Several grants were obtained to run the Creative Space project in a bigger way.
405 clients received counselling in the year to March 2007.

2008
There were more changes as visyon started to work in Rudheath High School in Northwich, Woodford Lodge, Oaklands and Verdin High School in Winsford and Wilmslow High School.
visyon moved into Market Square, the redundant Congleton Borough Council building, taking the upper floor.
Vodafone volunteers painting the counsellors’ office
visyon was accepted as a member of the Cheshire and Warrington Social Enterprise Partnership as an organisation which earns at least part of its funds.
526 clients received counselling in 2007-8

2009
This will prove to be another challenging year with the world-wide recession, local government re-organisation means that there are two new local authorities, Cheshire East Council and Cheshire West and Chester, and the NHS is short of funds.

The story of the organisation will continue and we look to the future with optimism. Elizabeth Forrester’s dream and vision stay with us and the memory of Lucy, Mike and Ben will always remind us of why so many people have put in so much hard work with visyon over the past years and continue to do so as we move v i s y o n forward.

474 clients received counselling in 2008-9

visyon was always intended to be a professional counselling service that was young-person-centred and that the service would offer young people a safe, non-threatening and non-judgmental environment in which to discuss their problems and be able to gain self confidence and a sense of mental and emotional wellbeing.

The name visyon came from one of the founders, “I kept using the expression – I have a vision. So that, one night we all started with the word visyon and tried to make our dream fit the word.” Out of it came: “Voluntary Initiative Supporting Young people’s Ongoing Needs.”