ONE of the founders of a volunteer counselling service based in one of our churches has retired after 30 years.

Jackie Brookfield retired from the All Saints Counselling Service, having been involved from the beginning - around 30 years ago. Jackie is a qualified and BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) accredited counsellor. At the start it was the vision of Jackie and the Rev Len Fox - the then vicar of All Saints Church - to provide affordable counselling and support to the residents of the inner city of Portsmouth where All Saints is located. 

The two downstairs rooms in All Saints Centre provided the ideal, confidential welcoming space to see clients. From very small beginnings, there began a voluntary counselling service, operating within BACP guidelines, that has lasted 30 years.

Not only was the aim to provide affordable counselling to residents in the inner city and wider Diocese but to also be a supportive place for priests to meet and talk through the challenges of their vocation. A clergy support group was supervised by Jackie for several years, providing a space for ministers to share the difficulties and joys in ministry.

Over the past 30 years, Jackie has been a counsellor, supervisor of counsellors and director of the service, using her skills, friendship and thoughtful management to provide support to the many clients coming through the service - and also encouraging and supporting the counsellors who gradually joined the service over the years.

In 2019 the counselling service became part of the Portsmouth Diocesan Council for Social Responsibility (CSR) and as a consequence has benefitted and been supported by the team at CSR. Jackie was fully supportive of this move.