Cancer counselling charity We Hear You (WHY) is continuing to support anyone affected or bereaved by cancer and other life-threatening conditions throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. WHY's free professional counselling service is now available via online or by telephone, complying with the necessary restrictions in place to prevent the virus' spread. This includes those people directly affected by the coronavirus itself as well as their friends and families and is open to anyone aged 12 or over.

The charity, like many others, replies heavily on community fundraising activities to raise the £5,000 it needs every week to support more than 100 people and is asking the public to help where they can by making a one-off or regular donation at wehearyou.org.uk/donate or via its new text-to-donate number. Fundraising and Communications Manager Gemma Wilkes says:

"We are all too aware of the impact the current pandemic has on our clients and others trying to cope with a life threatening condition. This is why we have added coronavirus to our list of conditions to support; if you are bereaved by the virus or struggling to come to terms with a loved one in a life threatening condition in hospital, please get in touch by emailing [email protected] or call 01373 455255, leave a message and someone will get back to you as soon as possible."

"Times are extremely difficult for us as a small charity, Many of our planned fundraising events have been cancelled, yet we continue to provide our service using our online facilities and telephone and we will keep doing so for as long as this situation lasts, but we need your help to do it. Please help us to continue our life-changing work in your community by making a donation, however small."

"We have set up a regular giving text-to-donate service which will enable our supporters to donate £4 a month by texting WHYREG4 to 70085. £4 per month will fund one session of counselling per year. £4 - the price of a magazine, a supermarket meal deal, a glass of wine, cup of coffee...or a life-changing session of support for a child or adult affected or bereaved by life-threatening conditions."