Counselling for children and young people 

Moorfields sees over 70,000 paediatric patients a year from all over the UK. The anxiety and stress felt by children and young people affected by sight loss can be overwhelming. It can be difficult to cope and we know that early intervention and support can make all the difference.

Thanks to generous support from London Freemasons, we have been able to expand Moorfields’ children’s counselling services. This is helping us to offer counselling therapy to more children and families in need. Crucially, counselling is also being offered to 16-18 year olds, who currently cannot access adult services.

The counsellor is working closely with families and is able to co-ordinate with external agencies including schools and visual impairment services. The sessions are carefully tailored to the age of the child, for example using toys and play to aid conversations with younger patients. 

Children will complete a survey before and after the session to understand their progress, for example their feelings about life, social situations, school and family members.

The grant from London Freemasons comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by freemasons, their families and friends, from across England and Wales.

With professional support we are able to offer more support to children and young people in need than ever before thanks to this expanded service. It is only thanks to philanthropic support that we are able to advance these plans for the benefit of children and young people affected by sight loss. We are hugely grateful for the support that is enabling this important work.