The Help And Support Of Professionals

Although we at the Good Counsel Network do all we possibly can to provide help and support to our clients, it sometimes happens that the client needs the specialist advice of a solicitor or of an immigration, employment or family law professional - as happened recently with a client who needed immediate family law and mediation advice.

In the last few years I have noticed that there are fewer free advice agencies offering the kind of expert advice our clients may need and I’ve been told by some groups that they have lost funding, do not have the staff and/or can no longer offer the services they once did.  Whilst this can be quite challenging when I need to get the best specialist advice I can for a woman, some wonderful professionals who support the work of the Good Counsel Network have occasionally stepped into the breach in order to offer their services free of charge.

This help might consist of a brief text, email or conversation, ongoing advice or even in some cases the professional working directly with a mother to help her navigate a difficult situation. The professional may not understand just how impactful their help was or will be on our client, but I see lives improved and fear lessened by this generous giving of time and specialist knowledge.  Plus, it gives a mother more confidence in navigating through her particular situation.  This confidence and support can mean a woman who is contemplating abortion decides to choose life for her baby.

In the recent case I mentioned above, our client’s fear was alleviated just knowing that she was better prepared for the difficulties she faced and she was happy to see that her informed preparation had a positive impact on her situation.

                                                                                                                                     Michelle

The 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigil in Brixton will run for 12 hours a day, 8am to 8pm, seven days a week from Ash Wednesday until Palm Sunday. If you could spare an hour or more to come and pray with us, it would be of great help. The vigil takes place at the corner of Brixton Water Lane, London, SW2 5BJ. For more details or to book to attend please contact Gabriella on 07745711064 or 02077231740

To sign up for hours at the 40 Days for Life vigil in Ealing, West London contact Sarah on 07776256838, or email her at london40daysforlife@hotmail.com

For details about 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigils in Reading, Southend, Liverpool, Nottingham, Glasgow, Leicester, Bournemouth and Sheffield see here and for the rest of the World see here 

Saving Lives This Lent

During Lent we often struggle with Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving. Yet these Lenten duties aren’t given to us as a punishment but as a means to help us overcome our own spiritual weakness, our greed and selfishness and even our lack of self-control and our lack of vigour in attaining holiness. In other words, Lent is a kind of spiritual workout for the soul. It can be hard sometimes to feel that giving up chocolate and saying an extra prayer or two is making much difference. Sometimes it is even harder to just keep doing the penances or spiritual extras we have taken on, or knowing where best to give alms!

Pro-life work provides an opportunity for all these things. Firstly, in order to try to help women considering abortion, we have to have hope ourselves – abortion is an act of despair, so if we don’t have hope, we have nothing to offer women in need. So we need to keep our own faith alive and active through a deep prayer life. Secondly, some demons can only be cast out through prayer and fasting, as Our Lord told the apostles. And sometimes it is very clear that abortion is one of the issues that requires both prayer and fasting for us to overcome it. Finally, almsgiving. The women we see come to us with every kind of problem: homelessness, trafficking, abuse, illegal immigration, poverty, drug and alcohol addiction, imprisonment, prostitution, depression, marriage breakdown, and so many other difficult situations. Money is not the answer to every problem, but money can often buy help, keep food on the table and a roof over someone’s head. With your support, we can reach and help many more Mothers, so they can choose life and we can support them as they do so.

The women who choose abortion come from every walk of life, rich and poor, black and white and every race and colour. We can use Lent to profit our own soul as well as to help save the lives of others by deepening our prayer, fasting and almsgiving for those tempted to abort.

A young Mother, Joanna, who we helped recently, changed her mind as she was going to the Ealing abortion centre. The thing that made her feel able to choose life was our offer to help with part of her rent for the months she would be off work because she did not qualify for maternity pay. That promise has been honoured and she is now the delighted Mother of Jennifer, who is the apple of her eye. It’s amazing that a relatively small amount of financial help can save a life, but it is true! Not just has it saved Jennifer’s life, but it has also brought Joanna to the point where she recognises that abortion would have been wrong, and a terrible mistake. Something she would never want to consider again, no matter how difficult the circumstances.

So, this Lent, please join us and spare some prayer, fasting and almsgiving for the pro-life movement.

Prayer

Why not join us in prayer during Lent? See the options to join our Rosary or Adoration Rotas, or join us at 40 Days for Life – see GoodCounselNetwork.com for details. And follow the daily updates here on our blog, which includes details of the Bishop, Archbishop and Cardinal who have attended 40 Days for Life vigils in London this Lent.

Fasting

Can you offer your fasting and any suffering you have for the end of abortion, the closure of abortion centres and for particular Mothers considering abortion?

Almsgiving

Can you support our work and help the Mothers we are assisting by donating during Lent? Or could you start making a regular (e.g. monthly) donation to our work? See our bank details below.

Clare

DONATE TO SUPPORT OUR WORK

Donate by Bank Transfer to:

The Guild of Our Lady of Good Counsel

Sort Code: 40-06-30                       

Account Number: 13994678

By Credit Card over the phone:

Call 0207-723-1740

Monday to Friday, 10.30-6pm

Via Paypal: Paypal.me/SaveLivesGCN

Those Helped By Good Counsel Share Their Stories

Some mothers who really were in difficult situations have kept their babies because of the pro-life vigils. 

One story I remember from a few years ago, is of a brave mother who changed her mind during 40 Days. She was living in a tiny one bed flat with her husband and two children and she had a lot of health problems. She also had financial problems because her husband had had to leave work because of her health. As a Christian she was not feeling good about her abortion appointment that day but she got our Good Counsel leaflet from someone outside the abortion centre and came to our centre to get the help she needed instead of going in for the abortion. The lady and her husband are always very grateful for the help received and we are continuing to help them today. The same lady stood up for us against the lies that were told about us to bring in buffer zones. She was a witness with other mothers and told the council how she was glad that we were there for her and for other mothers in difficult situations. 

A few months later her husband happened to be walking passed our vigil one day when someone shouted abuse at us. He politely told them the truth about the help we had given them so they stopped harassing us. 

That reminds me of another time we were at a 40 Days for Life vigil outside the abortion centre and one of the mothers we had helped was praying at the vigil with her child in the pushchair. A couple of young ladies stopped and were shouting at us and seemed very angry that we pro-lifers were there, and they were not in a hurry to go away. The mother who was with me, who had changed her mind about having an abortion years before, came over with her son and started explaining to these women about the help our centre had given her and her child, including help with accommodation, financial help and support and she pointed to her son in the pushchair. They were speechless and dumbfounded and walked away silently. But to my surprise half an hour later they came back and apologised to us and told us that they had changed their minds about us being there altogether!

Lorraine

The 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigil in Brixton, where we reach out to expectant Mums, will run for 12 hours a day, 8am to 8pm, seven days a week from Ash Wednesday until Palm Sunday. If you could spare an hour or more to come and pray with us, it would be of great help. The vigil takes place at the corner of Brixton Water Lane, London, SW2 5BJ. For more details or to book to attend please contact Gabriella on 07745711064 or 02077231740

For details about 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigils in Reading, Ealing, Southend, Liverpool, Nottingham, Glasgow, Leicester, Bournemouth and Sheffield see here and for the rest of the World see here

These Pro-Life Vigils Do Work!

I've witnessed many women change their minds and not have an abortion during 40 Days for Life over the years since it began in 2010, especially before the buffer zones came in. Due to my working with the Good Counsel Network and taking part in the vigils, I can remember some amazing turnarounds that were definitely God's intervention. But even now with the buffer zones in place we are still receiving wonderful news from time to time such as recently a friend came to tell us that a woman she knew did not show up for her abortion that morning. We have also had people come up to us in the street now and again and introduce us to their child, the ones whose mothers or fathers saw us praying and decided not to go ahead with their abortions. We had not known they had kept their babies but they had witnessed the people praying at the vigils as a sign from God that they should do the right thing and continue their pregnancy. 

Lorraine

The 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigil in Brixton, where we reach out to expectant Mums, will run for 12 hours a day, 8am to 8pm, seven days a week from Ash Wednesday until Palm Sunday. If you could spare an hour or more to come and pray with us, it would be of great help. The vigil takes place at the corner of Brixton Water Lane, London, SW2 5BJ. For more details or to book to attend please contact Gabriella on 07745711064 or 02077231740

For details about 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigils in Reading, Ealing, Southend, Liverpool, Nottingham, Glasgow, Leicester, Bournemouth and Sheffield see here and for the rest of the World see here

Come And Join 40 Days For Life If You Dare

We’re two weeks into 40 Days for Life, almost half way. Our Lord is under the cross and we’re trying to be there with Him. People are mocking and cursing Him, He’s exhausted, the whole world is against Him but He keeps on going. Why? Because He loves us, and life is worth it.

Our Lady is there and she’s the only one that sees Him. For those that don’t make it, at the very least we were there, and we saw them.

‘I was in prison and you came to me’ (Matthew 25:36).

Lord, when were You in prison and when did we visit You?

I was a little unborn baby in the womb. My mother was taking me to the abortion centre because everyone told her I wasn’t a life yet. You stood outside and offered her help. You prayed for her and for me.

Good Counsel Network has its vigils going all year round, but for 40 days the ante goes up. I’m thinking back to the first day. It’s dark and pouring with rain, I’m trying to sort out the display and my umbrella’s blowing inside out. I’m having to think on my feet. I’ve been wondering when it’s going to get real, and this is really it I’m thinking. I’m looking across at my friend. He’s white with the cold and he’s saying God bless you to a man who’s just told us to keep freezing. This is really it I’m thinking.

 

If you’re not in the fight for life what are you doing? If you’re not fighting for life are you really living?

 

Clocks ticking, now I don’t think I’m blogging anymore I’m rhyming.

 

These days in the UK, your chances of making it out of the womb and into the world are slim, just over two in three to be exact. Life doesn’t make its way into this world without a fight. Does that sound like the kind of fight you want to miss out on?

 

How much does it take to bring a baby into this world? The Hand of God, the prayers of Our Lady, a man and a woman plus two frozen vigilantes. One of them wasn’t meant to be there this long, someone is late and he’s saying the Hail Mary like he no longer knows what it means.

I'm approaching the vigil. From a distance it doesn’t look like much, two little people and a couple of signs by the side of the road. It seems to me these things don’t look so small to God because you get there and it's war.

 

I’m standing there, and I feel like I’ve found the place I came from. Who would have thought, this pavement in Ealing. I know why it is, it’s because my Mother is there, and I’m there, suffering my little splinter of what she suffered for me to be here.

 

Come and join us for 40 days if you dare. You might just find out who you really are. You don’t want to miss this for the world.

 Anna Maria

The 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigil in Brixton, where we reach out to expectant Mums, will run for 12 hours a day, 8am to 8pm, seven days a week from Ash Wednesday until Palm Sunday. If you could spare an hour or more to come and pray with us, it would be of great help. The vigil takes place at the corner of Brixton Water Lane, London, SW2 5BJ. For more details or to book to attend please contact Gabriella on 07745711064 or 02077231740

For details about 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigils in Reading, Ealing, Southend, Liverpool, Nottingham, Glasgow, Leicester, Bournemouth and Sheffield see here and for the rest of the World see here

Prayers And Sacrifices Touch Hearts

40 Days for Life really does have an effect and can save many lives. I remember being in the reception of Good Counsel Network Centre during 40 Days for Life years ago when the reception area was full. There were three couples waiting to be counselled, one particular story I remember was a couple had been in the abortion centre and were talking to another couple showing them our leaflet so both couples decided to come to our centre for help together in a taxi. We've had mothers telling other abortion minded women about our centre after they have kept their babies. It's  great to witness how some of the mothers we help show their love for other mothers in need. There was one morning I will not forget in a hurry. It was a freezing morning outside the abortion centre. A beautiful young lady came out of the clinic with her boyfriend and she turned around and smiled at us. She said “Thank you, because you are here today in this freezing weather we have decided to keep our baby.” Its not often we hear how our prayers and sacrifices have touched the hearts of those who were about to have abortions but when we do hear we have these beautiful memories to cherish forever. Praise God for His intervention and all the babies that have been saved.

Lorraine

The 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigil in Brixton, where we reach out to expectant Mums, will run for 12 hours a day, 8am to 8pm, seven days a week from Ash Wednesday until Palm Sunday. If you could spare an hour or more to come and pray with us, it would be of great help. The vigil takes place at the corner of Brixton Water Lane, London, SW2 5BJ. For more details or to book to attend please contact Gabriella on 07745711064 or 02077231740

For details about 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigils in Reading, Ealing, Southend, Liverpool, Nottingham, Glasgow, Leicester, Bournemouth and Sheffield see here and for the rest of the World see here

Serving Mothers & Offering Real Help!

Every day of work at the Good Counsel Network brings something different.  Our assistance doesn’t end with the birth of the child.  Some clients continue to need our help on an ongoing basis whilst others may contact us months or even years after originally being helped in order to get advice or assistance with something troubling. 

A single, working mother of two (living in very overcrowded conditions) contacted us in distress when she found she was unexpectedly pregnant with a 3^rd child.  We initially provided her with advice on housing and how to access help from her local authority.  I also helped her search for more appropriate local housing.  In addition, we provided her with many practical goods for the baby, some financial support and information on grants and benefits for pregnant/new mothers.  It was because of this help that she decided to choose life for her child. 

Later in the pregnancy, when she suffered discrimination in the workplace due to the pregnancy, we helped her to get expert advice regarding her rights.  She again contacted us for advice on enrolling her older children in college. Then, after the baby’s birth, she contacted us to say her family was facing eviction, she was looking for help in her communication with the local housing authority.  When she was then moved into bed-bug infested temporary accommodation, we continued to advocate on her behalf and provide emotional support until the family was removed somewhere more suitable.

When I last spoke with her almost 1 ½ years after she first contacted us, she was happy to say that her older daughters were attending college (and doing well), her baby was thriving, and she had a new job and had just signed a rental contract for a property that very day.  She was so very thankful for all the support we provided to her and said she wouldn’t have been able to get through everything without the help and support of the Good Counsel Network.

Michelle

The 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigil in Brixton, where we reach out to expectant Mums, will run for 12 hours a day, 8am to 8pm, seven days a week from Ash Wednesday until Palm Sunday. If you could spare an hour or more to come and pray with us, it would be of great help. The vigil takes place at the corner of Brixton Water Lane, London, SW2 5BJ. For more details or to book to attend please contact Gabriella on 07745711064 or 02077231740

For details about 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigils in Reading, Ealing, Southend, Liverpool, Nottingham, Glasgow, Leicester, Bournemouth and Sheffield see here and for the rest of the World see here

Fear and Pressure in an Unexpected Pregnancy

Most of the women going for an abortion are doing so out of fear. Fear of how their life will change, fear of how they will manage financially, fear that they are not ready for a child. Many mothers face not only their internal fears but pressure from outside. Family, partners and culture can often add to the pressure a mother feels.

At the Annunciation the Angel Gabriel said to Our Lady, "Do not be afraid Mary", she was afraid when she was asked to be the Mother of God. God did not dismiss Mary's fear, He reassured her. Let us be Christ-like and meet these mothers on the street, reassure them and offer them the help and support they need to be able to keep and love their babies. Fear is real but it is not final, love pulls these mothers towards hope. That is why we are here in Brixton!

The Prayer Vigil in Brixton will run for 12 hours a day, 8am to 8pm, seven days a week from Ash Wednesday until Palm Sunday. If you could spare an hour or more to come and pray with us, it would be of great help. The vigil takes place at the corner of Brixton Water Lane, London, SW2 5BJ. For more details or to book to attend please contact Gabriella on 07745711064 or 02077231740

For details about 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigils in Reading, Ealing, Southend, Liverpool, Nottingham, Glasgow, Leicester, Bournemouth and Sheffield see here and for the rest of the World see here

Valerie Bears Witness to the Truth of Pro-Life Vigils

Today, some leftists in Brixton decided to have a "Defend Abortion Rights" Demonstration to "send the message that shame and intimidation are not welcome in our community". It seems that the groups involved did not read our signs before deciding to take offence, or they would surely have seen that we are only offering alternatives to abortion to those who want them. Furthermore, we are not there to shame or intimidate anyone, and have had many conversations with those who have had abortions, whatever their views, without feeling the need to shame or intimiate anyone. They went on to say in their leaflet that "Reform UK and Nigel Farage are in support of these kind of ['anti-abortion'] campaigns" - another favoured trope of the pro-abortion campaigner that all pro-lifers are racist, anti-immigrant, right wing, gun supporting, vaccine hating blah, blah,blah. 

The truth is far more diverse. The pro-life movement is full of people of all colours and races and every strand of political belief. Many people come into the movement because of their own, or a loved one's abortion and it's aftermath. Many others arrive into the movement after finding that scientifically a newly conceived life can only be a very tiny human - "A person's a person no matter how small" as Dr Seuss tells us!

This group met on the steps of Lambeth Town Hall at midday and they ranted about those anti-choicers up at our vigil. Their demo was about to close when a brave black woman - I'll call her Valerie - stepped forward to speak. She told them that she did not agree with them, that she herself had had two abortions. She said her first abortion when she was only in her teens was in the Brixton abortion centre. She said that she wished the vigil had been there for her, and she might have been able to choose life for her child instead. She described the pain and suffering of having a second abortion, because no-one was there to offer her help or support. They began to respond and tell her she was only 1 person and not everyone felt like her. She refused to be brushed off by this and she said "There are others who feel like I do. You are criticising the people praying up the road, but what can you offer to people like me who are suffering after an abortion? You want me to have abortions and you want to demand my right to abortion, but I have had an abortion and I have the pain and trauma of going through that. What help have you got for me?" Of course the answer is "No help at all". But the protestors did not answer her at all. They began to walk away. When she told them "Abortion kills a child" they told her she was being agressive, and they all left. 

However, after they left, Valerie came up to the Vigil to meet with us, and to recount what had happened. 

While this was going on, up at the vigil, no doubt encouraged by the demo, a local jogger stopped to pointedly spit at our sign which proclaims "Women and children deserve better than abortion" and which bears our helpline number. Meanwhile a passing driver put their hand on the horn for a full minute while waving at us with just one finger. Then a local passing by came up to us with a confused look on his face and said "I've been up the road and down the road and I want to ask, - Why are people giving you such abuse?" - a very good question!

When Valerie arrived, she told us the whole story of what had happened. She too was confused by the fact that her story was of no interest to the self-styled "women's rights advocates". But as someone with a faith in God, she quickly recognised that their movement was all about politics and not about people. As she told them of her sorrow at the loss of her two children, they explained to her that 'there are too many children in the world anyway.' 

She thanked us and asked God to bless us. She said she had prayed about whether to come today, and felt that God wanted her too. She thanked God for sending her a son after she had gone through two abortions and she told us how repentant she felt about them. And before she left us, she encouraged us to keep praying, and she said "I've got your back!"

It's not easy being at a vigil. I take my hat off to the vigil volunteers who are there daily or several times a week and put up with all kinds of abuse from passers by. But on the worst of days, we need to remember the many "Valeries" out there, not all as brave as today's Valerie, and not all willing to speak up, but those who pass by quietly and offer a prayer in their hearts for lost children and those who try to reach out and help Mothers.

Clare

The Prayer Vigil in Brixton will run for 12 hours a day, 8am to 8pm, seven days a week from Ash Wednesday until Palm Sunday. If you could spare an hour or more to come and pray with us, it would be of great help. The vigil takes place at the corner of Brixton Water Lane, London, SW2 5BJ. For more details or to book to attend please contact Gabriella on 07745711064 or 02077231740

For details about 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigils in Reading, Ealing, Southend, Liverpool, Nottingham, Glasgow, Leicester, Bournemouth and Sheffield see here and for the rest of the World see here

PLEASE DONATE TO SUPPORT OUR WORK AND THE MOTHERS AND BABIES IN MOST NEED

Donate by Bank Transfer to:

The Guild of Our Lady of Good Counsel

Sort Code: 40-06-30                          

Account Number: 13994678

By Credit Card over the phone:

Call 0207-723-1740

Monday to Friday, 10.30-6pm

Via Paypal: Paypal.me/SaveLivesGCN

"When I attended the 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigil in Brixton..."

When I attended the 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigil in Brixton last Sunday morning I was struck by the peace and quiet there compared to other days. People trudged past with their shopping or ran past on their morning exercise. I thought to myself that people seemed so oblivious to the evil of the place just up the road from them, the abortion centre. If only our society realised that there are 277,970 babies missing in England and Wales from 2023 alone, 277,970 mothers hurt by abortion. What a different place the world would be if people only realised the humanity of the unborn. That’s 277,970 reasons for you to come join our 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigil in Brixton!

Help us to raise awareness about the greatest evil of our time by joining us. Imagine being at a vigil and then hearing from a mother who received help to keep her baby because of people at such a vigil offering help and support. The Prayer Vigil in Brixton will run for 12 hours a day, 8am to 8pm, seven days a week from Ash Wednesday until Palm Sunday. If you could spare an hour or more to come and pray with us, it would be of great help. The vigil takes place at the corner of Brixton Water Lane, London, SW2 5BJ. For more details or to book to attend please contact Gabriella on 07745711064 or 02077231740

For details about 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigils in Reading, Ealing, Southend, Liverpool, Nottingham, Glasgow, Leicester, Bournemouth and Sheffield see here and for the rest of the World see here.

Did you just phone to book to attend? Or did you click on one of those links to see which vigil you will attend? No? Please do, you may make all of the difference.

At The Pro-Life Vigil We Are There To Offer Help And Support

Yesterday at our 40 Days for Life vigil in Brixton, Gabriella, one of our staff members spoke with a mother who is 8 weeks pregnant. She shared that she feels confident in having her abortion, though her heart seems set she did accept one of our leaflets that offer help. At the 40 Days for Life vigil we are there to stand peacefully, offering help and prayers for both mother and child. Please join us in praying for this mother as only God can change hearts. 

Heavenly Father, we cry out for your mercy and ask You to remove the scourge of abortion from our land. Use us as your vessels, Lord, to bring the light of truth to our nation once again.

Pregnant? Find help and support.

Come and pray at our vigil in Brixton or one of the other vigils around the Country.

For vigils outside the UK see here.

Support The Good Counsel Network Pregnancy Centre

Imagine a Pregnancy Centre where every woman is shown her baby’s stage of development and is offered the help and support she needs to keep her baby? Stop imagining and support The Good Counsel Network.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-londons-prolife-pregnancy-centre-stay-open/

Humbled by a Six Year Old Boy & by a 24 week Pregnant Women‎

I once wrote in a blog post about counselling outside Whitfield Street abortion centre in the cold. Kicking my feet together to keep warm and feeling sorry for myself. I found myself being humbled when a‎ 'little old lady' arrived opposite the centre to pray, and promptly knelt down on the very cold pavement!

I was telling a few people that the 6-8am slot on the 24 hours a day, 40 Days for Life vigil in Ealing is one of the harder times to arrange for people to be there praying. I said, I'd even gone myself at that time couple of times. No sooner had I said this than a 24 week Pregnant women pipes-up and says, "Yes, I had to get up at 4am to get there on public transport to join my husband there at 6am, he'd already been there most the night." This just didn't make my jumping into the car at 5.30am sound half so good.

It was nice that after listening to a young Married Muslim couple talk about keeping their Baby, in spite of ‎genuine death threats from her Family, at the 'Cast the Vision' opening event, a six year old signed-up to be called to come and pray at the vigil. As he didn't have a mobile of his own, Charis, a Good Counsel intern telephoned his Mother on Friday. When he was put on the phone, he said he was quite busy on Saturdays with other activities, so he'd come on Monday for one and a half hours in the afternoon, as he does not have extra activities on a Monday! Very business like.

So just sign-up to pray in Ealing or at another 40 Days‎ for Life vigil or another Good Counsel vigil or even a Helpers of God's Precious Infants vigil. Just come along to help save lives & Souls.

Please donate to support the Mothers that choose Life for their Children.

New Proposals on Pregnancy Counselling; No Evidence To Suggest Lives Will Be Saved

See John Smeaton's excellent analysis of the New Proposals re Pregnancy Counselling which will be voted on on 6th Sept.