Young Peoples Counselling Service, Brentwood merges with Renew Counselling and Training
We’re delighted to announce that from April 2023, Renew will be offering counselling for young people from YPCS Centre in Brentwood.
Counselling has been taking place at YPCS (Young Peoples Counselling Service) for over 30 years, with counsellors supporting the young people of Brentwood and the surrounding areas to improve their mental health and emotional wellbeing. With the charity’s Director, Claire White, retiring this year, YPCS has decided that the best move for the service is for it to be taken over by a larger organisation that runs in a similar way, with a reputation for clinical excellence.
Bringing YPCS under the Renew umbrella
We’re therefore pleased to announce that after careful consideration and a thoughtful period of transition, we have brought YPCS under the umbrella of Renew Counselling and Training. From April, YPCS Centre in Brentwood will sit alongside our existing centres in Basildon and Chelmsford.
Renew and YPCS are long-standing partners with complementary services and a shared mission to improve the mental health and emotional wellbeing of the local community. Both Renew and YPCS’ work with children and young people in Brentwood, Basildon and the surrounding areas is funded by the NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board.
We will continue to deliver young people’s counselling at the YPCS Brentwood centre and will be expanding to also offer counselling to children and eventually adults.
A visit from MP Alex Burghart
To mark the occasion, we were delighted to welcome Brentwood and Ongar MP Alex Burghart to the YPCS centre earlier in March.
The visit was an opportunity to announce the merger and to show the community’s appreciation for YPCS Director Claire, who is retiring from her position after almost twenty years of service.
As well as thanking Claire for her work, Mr Burghart met with Renew’s Chief Executive Nikki Schuster and Renew counsellor Vicki. The group discussed the challenges facing young people as well as the pressures on mental health services in the area.
Mr Burghart said:
“It was a privilege to meet with YPCS and Renew Counselling and Training this week, learning about the charities’ joint mission to provide high-quality counselling to those that need it.
Claire and her team are an inspiring group of people who have made a real difference to the young people of Brentwood. I would like to extend a huge thank you to Claire for her tireless efforts in leading YPCS and wish her all the best for her retirement.
The challenges facing young people are constantly changing and evolving, so it is important that this vital work continues. I look forward to seeing even more young people, children and adults having access to mental health support as YPCS joins Renew.”
Mr Burghart mentioned the visit in his column for the Brentwood Gazette, which you can read here.
Exciting opportunities
Being approached to take on this new centre is a testament to Renew’s reputation for clinical excellence. We look forward to seeing the exciting new opportunities that the merger brings.
