A NEW counselling service has been launched to support emergency service workers and military personnel. 

One Vision was launched by Janine Wilson, a trauma-informed person-centred counsellor and 'Rewind Therapist' at Stricklandland Gate House, Kendal, after she noticed a gap in care services in the local area. 

Tim Farron, MP for the South Lakes; Sam Scott, the High Sheriff of Cumbria and Gary Oakford, of the Armed Forces Covenant, along with representatives from local doctors’ surgeries and fire and mountain rescue teams, were among those in attendance.

"I'm born and bred in Kendal and when I looked throughout the Lake District, I couldn't find a provision for what I wanted to do," Janine said.

"There is no provision for military veterans or our armed forces to give them mental health support and to help with their experiences.

“That was what stimulated me to launch One Vision. From there I extended it to emergency service workers because my daughter is a paramedic and I'm all too aware of what they go through."

Her connection to the armed forces is deeply rooted in her family, which is where her interest in counselling stems from.

Her father completed two years national service in the RAF, her brother is currently an army reservist and her great uncle was involved in the D-Day Landings.

She completed her Level 4 Diploma at Southport College and did most of her placements around Merseyside. She now currently volunteers at two veteran services; one in Wigan and the other in Liverpool.

She said: “PTSD and CPTSD trauma are prominent, especially with the armed forces community. Other services like blue light and emergency services deal with it as well on a day-to-day basis. It’s all about helping those who help us.

“As a counsellor, we have to keep on counselling. This has enabled me to keep volunteering to widen my knowledge base at the same time while I’ve been starting up One Vision.”