Supporting Wigan families in need for over 60 years

Family Welfare is a long-established charity offering free, independent and confidential counselling, advocacy and community development services to people across the Wigan Borough. Our services are accessible to adults, young people and children from the age of 4 upwards.

Who we can support

Working together with other local organisations, including schools, family support organisations, hospitals and care facilities, we are able to support:

  • Vulnerable people
  • Individuals in crisis or facing challenges in life
  • Victims of crime
  • New parents preparing for, or adjusting to, family life
  • Bereaved families
  • Children in care or about to leave care
  • School and college students
  • Elderly people living in care
  • Individuals detained under the Mental Health Act
  • Individuals detained under the Mental Capacity Act

Counselling & Advocacy Services

Access Counselling Support

With NHS counselling waiting lists longer than ever, Family Welfare could help you access counselling support quickly, so you can tackle challenges, explore solutions, and move forward in life. Sessions are confidential, fully accessible and designed around your personal needs.

Access Advocacy Support

Experienced advocates represent and safeguard vulnerable children, young people and adults with a level of care, empathy and understanding that ensures every individual has their voice heard. We operate to the highest standards of service and support, always putting the client first.

9,552 sessions were delivered throughout all of the counselling projects in 2022!

In 2022 Family Welfare dealt with over 1,300 counselling referrals in the North West.

We provide Advocacy support to over 830 people in Wigan & Leigh areas alone!

How we do it

Counselling, advocacy and community support

Working in partnership we serve the whole community, of all faiths and none, by celebrating the gift of family life in all its variety and helping heal where it is bruised and broken.

Our focus is on offering accessible counselling, advocacy and other services to support families and individual family members in a variety of life situations, from birth to death. This can mean helping people adapt within the family environment or, when necessary, helping individuals rediscover and value themselves in new circumstances and following trauma.

Making a difference to the lives of local families

We are proud of our incredible, committed team of counsellors, advocates, volunteers and support staff who share a common goal to make a difference to the lives of families across the borough. Everyone at Family Welfare believes in learning through experience. Listening to the community guides us to develop and deliver new programmes of person-centred therapy and other activities.

Flexibility in delivery is key to the success of our support. From single session therapy to multi-session counselling and school visits, adults and young people can access free counselling services online, in-person, or at a location of your choice.

Volunteer with us

Can you spare a few hours a week to give back to your community? If you are interested in becoming a Family Welfare volunteer, please get in touch. We welcome applications from volunteer and student counsellors, advocates and support staff.

“A family friend recommended the Family Welfare service. The team were just excellent from start to finish.
They listened to the problems we were having and I couldn’t have hoped for a better outcome. Thank you!”

Wigan Family Welfare
2016-01-13T08:45:43+00:00
“A family friend recommended the Family Welfare service. The team were just excellent from start to finish. They listened to the problems we were having and I couldn’t have hoped for a better outcome. Thank you!”

Would highly recommend the service to anybody going through tough times in their lives. My counsellor has been outstanding and a credit to your team.

Wigan Family Welfare
2020-04-22T16:31:20+00:00
Would highly recommend the service to anybody going through tough times in their lives. My counsellor has been outstanding and a credit to your team.

My counsellor was very easy to chat and interact with, made each session easier to chat through. He has helped me massively to open up and chat regarding issues.

Wigan Family Welfare
2020-04-22T16:35:41+00:00
My counsellor was very easy to chat and interact with, made each session easier to chat through. He has helped me massively to open up and chat regarding issues.

Counselling has helped, before I was mad all the time, now it’s another step into life. I understand why I was angry and where it came from. It’s like a new journey.

Wigan Family Welfare
2020-04-22T16:36:00+00:00
Counselling has helped, before I was mad all the time, now it’s another step into life. I understand why I was angry and where it came from. It’s like a new journey.

Counselling has helped a lot. It is nice to have someone who understands what I am going through and does not judge. It has helped me like myself.

Wigan Family Welfare
2020-04-22T16:36:17+00:00
Counselling has helped a lot. It is nice to have someone who understands what I am going through and does not judge. It has helped me like myself.

Talking about Granddad has helped me not feel as lonely since he died. I have put a lot of memories into my memory box that I did not know I had.

Wigan Family Welfare
2020-04-28T16:45:19+00:00
Talking about Granddad has helped me not feel as lonely since he died. I have put a lot of memories into my memory box that I did not know I had.

I did not believe I would survive the loss of my Granddad. I have been helped me through all of it and helped me to like myself more, thank you so much.

Wigan Family Welfare
2020-04-28T16:45:47+00:00
I did not believe I would survive the loss of my Granddad. I have been helped me through all of it and helped me to like myself more, thank you so much.

Counselling has helped me to feel better about myself and better as a person. I am proud of how different I am now and excited about my future

Wigan Family Welfare
2020-04-28T16:46:13+00:00
Counselling has helped me to feel better about myself and better as a person. I am proud of how different I am now and excited about my future

Counselling has boosted my confidence and given me a place to get everything out. I felt from the beginning that I could trust you and that is what made the difference.

Wigan Family Welfare
2020-04-28T16:46:40+00:00
Counselling has boosted my confidence and given me a place to get everything out. I felt from the beginning that I could trust you and that is what made the difference.
They provided me with outstanding support, every aspect of their service is professional without losing that all important “personal touch"
Wigan Family Welfare
2020-04-28T16:47:00+00:00
They provided me with outstanding support, every aspect of their service is professional without losing that all important “personal touch"

I cannot praise them highly enough and would recommend them, without hesitation, to anybody who needed them. Thanks so much.

Wigan Family Welfare
2020-04-28T16:47:19+00:00

It’s been emotional and tiring but very eye-opening, mostly from my counsellor’s approach to mental health well-being. Thank you for the service and the care.

Wigan Family Welfare
2020-04-28T16:47:40+00:00
It’s been emotional and tiring but very eye-opening, mostly from my counsellor’s approach to mental health well-being. Thank you for the service and the care.

The counsellor was really nice and listened to everything I had to say and offered advice and guidance when needed. Thank you so much.

Wigan Family Welfare
2020-04-28T16:47:58+00:00
The counsellor was really nice and listened to everything I had to say and offered advice and guidance when needed. Thank you so much.

The quality of advocacy support is excellent, they are very responsive, even with out of borough cases as people are seen quickly and timely reports provided.

Wigan Family Welfare
2020-04-28T16:48:17+00:00
The quality of advocacy support is excellent, they are very responsive, even with out of borough cases as people are seen quickly and timely reports provided.

My advocate is very experienced and clear about her role, she works professionally is flexible, willing and always puts my needs first.

Wigan Family Welfare
2020-04-28T16:48:36+00:00
My advocate is very experienced and clear about her role, she works professionally is flexible, willing and always puts my needs first.

My advocate was concerned to support me to do as much for myself as possible, she explained the process in a way I could understand, developed a strategy and plan.

Wigan Family Welfare
2020-04-28T16:48:58+00:00
My advocate was concerned to support me to do as much for myself as possible, she explained the process in a way I could understand, developed a strategy and plan.
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Wigan Family Welfare

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