The Coast 2 Coast cyclists are back out on the road again this year, cycling 220 miles from Gairloch back to Aberdeen through stunning Scottish countryside, all in aid of raising money for charity. Please give generously as all money raised will go directly to the charities, along with employee matching and don't forget to GIft Aid it if you are eligible. ACIS Youth Counselling, supported by Mental Health Aberdeen, provide free 1 to 1 counselling to all primary schools in Aberdeen for children age 10-12, and to young people in all Aberdeen high schools. The funds we raise will train ACIS counsellors how to use play therapy so that younger kids age 5-10 can also benefit from therapy (because younger kids don’t manage to talk about feelings so easily, hence the need for specialist play therapy). Childhood isn’t easy for all kids; they come to counselling to share their feelings around anxiety, bullying, parental separation and divorce, experiences of loss and bereavement, illness, and parental mental health; all of which have a significant impact on how they see themselves, their relationships, and their ability to function both at school and at home. Counselling can’t change their circumstances, but it can help kids to manage these big feelings and gain in confidence so they can reach more of their potential. With counsellors trained in play therapy, ACIS could expand their support to children in a younger age bracket and thus reach a more vulnerable set of kids.