Counselling for Social Change

What Counselling for Social Change does

Counselling for Social Change (C4SC) is a UK-registered charity (No. 1160047) and Company Limited by Guarantee, founded in 2012 in Penzance, Cornwall, and operated by a small core team of 1–10 employees supported by over 100 volunteer and intern counsellors. The organisation delivers person-centred, integrative, and pluralistic counselling across three primary modalities — face-to-face, phone, and encrypted video — with in-person coverage spanning 12+ locations across Cornwall and Devon (Penzance, Truro, Falmouth, St Austell, Bude, Newquay, Liskeard, Camborne, Redruth, Wadebridge, Plymouth, Exeter) and UK-wide remote delivery.

Its product portfolio centres on a low-cost long-term counselling service priced on a sliding scale from £13 to £50 per 50-minute session based on client income, with specialised offerings including activist counselling (trauma, PTSD, and burnout support for campaigners), Quick Access Counselling (up to 3 brief sessions within ~2 weeks), and intensive 3–4 day counselling retreats in West Cornwall. A B2B sub-brand called Safe Harbour extends the service to local employers as a pay-per-session Employee Assistance Programme at £55 per session, with profits routed back into subsidised community counselling. Complementary revenue is generated through grants (e.g., £5,000 from Cornwall Community Foundation in 2021), corporate donations (Lush, Co-op Local Community Fund), crowdfunding, and individual giving.

The go-to-market model is community-driven and low-cost: clients self-refer via an online form or a telephone line, with awareness built organically through social media, a regional partner-charity referral network managed by the Outreach Coordinator, word-of-mouth within activist communities, and event-based fundraising. In 2024/2025 the charity delivered 3,077 hours of counselling, with reported outcomes of 92% of respondents feeling significantly better and a counsellor rating of 18.99/20; cumulative output since founding is approximately 20,000 hours.

Name

Counselling for Social Change

Legal name

Counselling for Social Change

Website

https://counsellingforsocialchange.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Counselling for Social Change is a UK registered charity delivering low-cost, sliding-scale psychotherapy across Cornwall and Devon in person and UK wide remotely, serving individuals on low incomes, activists, and via the Safe Harbour B2B Employee Assistance Programme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cornwall

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Client Fees (Sliding Scale): C4SC charges clients a sliding scale fee based on household income, ranging from £13 per session (for those on benefits with income up to £12,000) up to £50 per session (income over £36,000). Sessions are 50 minutes. This is the primary revenue stream for the charity's individual counselling service.
2. Safe Harbour EAP (Business-to-Business): Safe Harbour is C4SC's B2B Employee Assistance Programme offering pay-per-session counselling to businesses at £55 per 50-minute session. Single sessions or blocks can be purchased, with pricing negotiated on a case-by-case basis. A portion of each fee contributes to funding counselling for individuals on low incomes in the community.
3. Donations and Grants: C4SC receives funding through grants (e.g., £5,000 from Cornwall Community Foundation and Viscountess Boyd Fund), donations (crowdfunders, individual donors), and corporate donations (e.g., Lush funding for activist counselling retreats). The Co-op Local Community Fund also directs a portion of member spending to C4SC.
4. Quick Access Counselling Fees: Brief client-focussed counselling sessions (up to 3 sessions) priced on a separate sliding scale from £12 to £40 per session depending on income bracket.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Counselling for Social Change (C4SC) is a registered charity delivering low-cost, person-centred counselling across Cornwall and Devon in person and nationwide via encrypted video and phone. Sessions are 50 minutes, priced on an income-based sliding scale from £13 to £50, with free spaces available for benefit recipients when funding permits. The organisation also specialises in trauma-informed support for activists and campaigners and offers a B2B Employee Assistance Programme called Safe Harbour.

Product overview

Counselling for Social Change is a registered charity (No. 1160047) founded in 2012, offering a portfolio of counselling services centred on a core Low-Cost Counselling product. The service operates on a sliding scale fee structure (£13-£50/session) for in-person counselling across Cornwall and Devon and remote counselling across the UK. Specialised offerings include Activist Counselling for social changers and campaigners, Quick Access Counselling (up to 3 brief sessions), and Counselling Retreats (intensive 3-4 day residential programmes). The Safe Harbour sub-brand extends services to businesses via an Employee Assistance Programme at £55/session. Additional components include volunteer counselling placements, workshops for professional development, and a charitable donations programme. The organisation combines low-cost, sliding-scale pricing with bursaries and free sessions when funding is available, targeting individuals on low incomes and those engaged in social justice movements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Safe Harbour: An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) providing pay-per-session counselling services to businesses. Each session costs £55 and is 50 minutes long. A portion of each fee goes toward funding essential counselling support for individuals on low incomes.

Products and services

• Low-Cost Counselling Affordable 50-minute long-term counselling sessions delivered in-person across Cornwall and Devon. Fees range from £13 to £50 based on the client's annual income bracket, with free spaces available for benefit recipients when funding permits.
• Activist Counselling Trauma-informed counselling tailored to activists, campaigners, relief workers, and community organisers. Supports those affected by climate, human rights, BLM, LGBTQIA+, and animal rights campaigning, including up to 12 long-term sessions and free counselling retreats in West Cornwall.
• Remote Counselling

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% of respondents felt significantly better than when they started; 71% experienced a major lasting improvement (2024/2025)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Woodland TrustminorOthers · 1 January 2013Donated 50 trees initially and a further 100 trees to be planted as a shelter belt for C4SC's counselling retreat site in West Cornwall, located on a 40-acre permaculture project.
• GamCareminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013GamCare extended its face-to-face support into Cornwall, and some of C4SC's counsellors trained to provide GamCare-affiliated face-to-face support for problem gamblers and those impacted by gambling, available for free.
• Activist Trauma SupportminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerC4SC was established alongside and in support of the work of Activist Trauma Support. Both organisations provide mental health support to activists, with C4SC focusing on long-term psychotherapeutic support and Activist Trauma Support providing peer support and resources.
• Professional Bodies (BACP, NCPS, NCS)coreOthersC4SC's Safe Harbour programme requires all counsellors to be fully trained and registered with a Professional Standards Authority membership body such as the National Counselling Society (NCS) or British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). All DBS checked with safeguarding training.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Samaritans: UK charity providing emotional support via phone, email and in-person branches, staffed largely by trained volunteers. Comparable as a UK emotional-support charity with multi-channel delivery and fundraising-driven operations, although services are listening-based rather than therapeutic.
• Cruse Bereavement Support: UK charity offering bereavement counselling, much of it volunteer- and trainee-delivered with a sliding scale or free model. Directly comparable operating model to C4SC: charity-registered, volunteer-heavy clinical workforce, subsidised fees for low-income clients.
• The Mix: UK charity providing digital-first mental health support, counselling and information for under-25s. Comparable as a UK multi-channel (web, phone, text) mental health charity using a charity-plus-grant funding model.
• Rethink Mental Illness: UK mental health charity running support groups, helplines and counselling-related services with a regional/local presence model. Comparable as a grant- and donation-funded mental health charity serving vulnerable populations beyond what the NHS offers.
• Relate: UK charity delivering low-cost relationship, family and individuals counselling across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Closest direct peer: charity model, sliding scale and BACP-registered counsellors serving clients who cannot afford private practice — same delivery logic as C4SC.
• Activist Trauma Support: UK organisation providing mental health support specifically to activists and campaigners. The most direct niche peer: founded alongside C4SC, focuses on peer support and resources for activists while C4SC provides the long-term therapeutic arm.
• Mind (National Association for Mental Health): UK-wide mental health charity providing information, support and local counselling services through a federated network. Comparable in mission (mental health support on a charity basis) and in operating local branches funded by grants and donations, though Mind is much larger and broader than C4SC.

Broad incumbents

• BetterHelp: Large international online counselling subscription platform. Comparable on the remote video/phone channel C4SC uses, but operates a for-profit, paid subscription model at substantially higher price points rather than a charity, sliding-scale approach.

Others

• Counselling Directory: UK directory connecting clients to private counsellors. Adjacent rather than competitive: it routes demand C4SC could serve but does not itself deliver counselling, and competes for the same low-cost-seeking client.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CounsellingSC
• Facebookfacebook.com/CounsellingForSocialChange
• Instagraminstagram.com/counselling4sc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/counselling-for-social-change-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Counselling for Social Change