Listening Post News
Position Vacant
Posted by Sheila_Appleton on Thursday, July 10 2008
HEAD OF FINANCE
(Based Gloucester City)
Part Time: 10 hours per week, worked flexibly
Contract: 1 year, mutually renewable
Salary: £19240.00 pro rata to 10 hours
Listening Post is a Registered Charity that provides professional counselling to people over the age of 18 in Gloucestershire. We are based in 3 Centres in Gloucester, Cheltenham and Stroud. Many of our clients are on low income and cannot afford counselling elsewhere. The organisation has a Christian ethos.
We are currently seeking someone with previous Financial experience to work as our Head of Finance, experience in Marketing would be an advantage. This new role might suit someone who has recently retired but wishes to become involved with a charity for a few hours each week.
The successful candidate will:
- Work closely with the Director of the Service and with the staff who maintain the accounts and carry out financial tasks.
- Provide financial and business management advice to the Director and Council of Management formulating policies and procedures for discussion and ratification.
- Act as the Treasurer for the organisation and will serve as a non voting member of the Council of Management.
Specific responsibilities will include:
- Assisting as necessary the two staff who manage the day to day financial running of the charity.
- Overseeing the preparation of our Annual Accounts, Budget Management, producing Strategy, Marketing and Business Plans and Fundraising.
A financial background is essential, experience in Marketing would be an advantage. Previous experience of working in a charity is desirable but not essential.
For a job description, application form or informal discussion please contact:
Sheila Appleton,
Director,
Listening Post,
Admiralty House,
11A Spa Road,
Gloucester,
GL1 1UY
Tel: 01452 383820
Email: sheila@listeningpost.org.uk
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New Cheltenham Centre. March 2007
Posted by Sheila_Appleton on Sunday, March 4 2007
Listening Post has moved into new premises in Cheltenham.
We're delighted to now be based in the Hesters Way Community Resource Centre, next to Gloscat on Princess Elizabeth Drive.
The Centre is modern and comfortable and has a small cafe on the ground floor. There is car parking available at the back of the buiding (with back entrance) and it is on a number of bus routes. Our rooms are on the first floor but there is full disabled access.
Our phone number remains : 01242 256060
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Listening Post Move Featured On BBC News Website
Posted by Sheila_Appleton on Tuesday, August 8 2006
A small article about the Gloucester centre's move to our new location can be seen on the BBC news website here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/4763367.stm
An interview with Listening Post Director Sheila Appleton discussing the move was also recorded for and broadcast on Radio Gloucester.
With huge thanks to Kimberley Hunt at BBC Gloucester for kindly providing these, we now have a full recording of the interview available to download.
Part 1
Part 2
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Listening Post - Gloucester Branch News Release
Posted by Sheila_Appleton on Tuesday, August 8 2006
Bishop John opens the door to a new chapter for City's Listening Post Counselling Service
Photo call /Interview opportunity
4.30pm
Friday 12th May 06
11a Spa Road Gloucester
After 15 years of helping thousands of people in their former headquarters in the YMCA in Sebert Street, the Gloucester Branch of the Listening Post Counselling Service is on the move in the City to a new HQ at 11a Spa Road.
On Friday 12th May 06 the Bishop of Tewkesbury, the Rt Rev John Went is to perform a special door opening ceremony and then he will pray on each of the three floors in the new suite of premises. For the first time Listening Post is expanding the service through the development of stress and depression management groups.
Catering for adults aged 18 and over, on average there are around 500 new referrals a year. Counsellors see people with various problems including: depression, stress, anxiety, bereavement, relationship problems, phobias, and post traumatic stress, to name a few.
The counselling charity has 56 qualified volunteer counsellors and supervisors, and 30 trained volunteer receptionists, is supported by a small team of paid staff. An organisational member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, Listening Post also has Centres in Cheltenham, Stroud and Tewkesbury.
Listening Post is a Christian charity which was developed through the vision of people from all the main church denominations. It's aim is to help people whether they have a faith or not. 93% of clients have no links with churches.
The charity's budget for the current financial year is more than £60,000 and the Director of Listening Post, Sheila Appleton says they receive no funding from statutory bodies. "The income is made up of donations from clients (according to their means), individuals, friends, churches and charitable trust grants. We do receive an income from training and fundraising events. It's always a struggle to make ends meet and it's only possible to run the service because of the large number of volunteers who give their time".
With the impending closure of the YMCA, in Sebert Street; Sheila Appleton says she's grateful for all the help and support Listening Post has received over the past 15 years. " Our thanks to the staff and board of the YMCA. Because of their support for our work, thousands of people have been helped during difficult periods in their lives during our time in Kingsholm. Having now moved to Spa Road, we look forward to the next 15!"
Sheila says "Counselling is likely to be regulated in the next few years, so in future all counsellors will need to have a Diploma or Degree. By the autumn, the majority of our counsellors and supervisors will already meet this requirement or will be in the final stage of their training . This autumn we are offering a 1 year Foundation Certificate Course in Counselling Skills and Theory. This will allow people who complete it to go onto a 2 year Diploma course elsewhere.
We also provide reasonably priced training for personnel of local organisations. We have already provided training for Health Service Staff and Gloucestershire Constabulary personnel in "Recognising and Managing Aggression". We also run "Listening Skills" courses for other charities and churches. We have an excellent "Stress Management " training programme that can be run "in house" for organisations".
Anyone seeking counselling or information on training can contact Sheila Appleton at Listening Post on 01452 383820.
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