Who We Are
Our Story
The Olive Trust emerged in 2018 from a personal journey and a belief in the transformative power of people caring for people. Founded by a Leicester-based family, the Trust’s inception was a response to a critical need.
Established on the premise that everyone deserves access to crisis support, The Olive Trust began to provide financial intervention to those identified as being in need.
Aligned with the trust’s objectives, we believe that individuals have the right to a basic standard of living, which includes but is not exhaustive to, access to good quality accommodation, food, clothing, and other amenities that will help them to improve their quality of life.
We know that we are providing a service that is so desperately needed in the locality. This is evident in not only the number of referrals that we receive but also what our partners are telling us. There is a shortage of free/low cost counselling support which means existing services are overstretched and have long waiting times.
Overall the current situation is as follows:
One in four people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England.
- McManus, S et al (2009). Adult psychiatric morbidity in England, 2007: results of a household survey
One in six people report experiencing a common mental health problem (like anxiety and depression) in any given week in England.
- McManus S, Bebbington P, Jenkins R, Brugha T. (eds.) (2016). Mental health and wellbeing in England: Adult psychiatric morbidity survey 2014
The rate of self-harm amongst women aged 18-30 is increasing at an alarming rate and the rate of suicidality amongst men has been the highest ever recorded.
- (Bhui et al 2007)
Not only is this deeply distressing for those involved but in the absence of meaningful support, it often means that individuals continue to struggle with their mental health for much longer than they need to.
Failure to address the mental health of people with long-term physical health problems and poor management of medically unexplained symptoms costs the NHS in England more than £11 billion a year
- Kings Fund (2016). Bringing together physical and mental health: A new frontier for integrated care
Fast forward to July 2023, now armed with an understanding of the gaps in mental health services within the region, the team embarked on a mission to carve out a unique space in Leicester’s mental health landscape, this is when the therapeutic arm of the service came into its own.
Our objective is simple, we want to provide counselling and psychotherapy to anyone experiencing poor mental health, living in Leicester and Leicestershire. We do not want money to be a barrier in accessing support. For this reason, we offer a free service to those who need it and a sliding scale for those who are able to afford it.
Since opening our doors, we have found our referral rates increasing day by day. This tells us that there is a demand for our services. You can learn more about the team by clicking here.
Our Name
The Olive tree is extremely resilient. Equipped to survive drought, sub zero temperatures, frost and even fire. Their roots are so strong that they can re-grow even when it seems like they’ve been completely decimated.
Even if the tree has been damaged, the roots can be reinvigorated and grow above the soil once again.
Our Mission
The Olive Trust believes that each and every one of us has the capacity to learn and grow.
Just like the Olive tree, with the right conditions, including encouragement and space, everyone has the ability to heal and thrive.
Our Vision
To provide free/low cost counselling and psychotherapy service to the residents of Leicester and Leicestershire (aged 18 and over). We want our service to be accessible to all. We work in a trauma-aware environment that informs the core principles of what we do and how we do it. We want to ensure that each person who accesses our service is met with a therapist who understands and works with them in a way that makes them feel heard and empowered.
A simple definition of trauma is a ‘deeply distressing event or a series of events’. While unique to the individual, the experience of trauma can cause lasting adverse effects including the ability to function and achieve mental, physical, social and emotional wellbeing.
Trauma aware practice is an approach which is grounded in the understanding that trauma exposure can impact an individual’s neurological, biological, psychological and social development. We understand that trauma can negatively impact not just individuals, their families, people connected to them and the wider community. Our main aim is to ensure our staff not only understand the impact of trauma but actively work in a way that provides an accessible and quality service that is safe, culturally sensitive and inclusive. We want to provide a service that our clients can trust and want to use.
Our Values
Our work reflects our shared core values:
Inclusivity
We actively work to overcome barriers and work with difference.
Integrity
We are honest and transparent. We are always looking for ways to improve our service and will always ask for feedback from our clients.
Resilient
Our aim is to provide meaningful support to individuals. We want our clients to gain a sense of control and meaning over their lives in a way that makes sense to them.
Empowerment
We believe that every individual has the right to self-determination, this could mean different things to different people. We actively work with our clients to help them develop a sense of choice, control and agency over their lives.
Counselling is an opportunity for you to discuss your difficulties in a safe and confidential environment. You can schedule a complimentary initial assessment with us.