FORMER dinner lady Veronica Orrell is hoping to cook up a storm in her new career -- as a caring counsellor.

The 58-year-old grandmother has hung up her apron and swapped dishing up puddings to dishing out advice after completing a diploma in counselling at Accrington and Rossendale College.

Veronica, of Cornelian Street, Blackburn, spent 24 years serving up school meals for pupils at schools across East Lancashire, including Roe Lee Park Primary School, Blackburn; St Thomas' CE Primary, Holy Souls RC Primary; St Stephen's CE Primary, and Audley County Primary, before transferring to Oswaldtwistle's Rhyddings High.

She then moved on to become area catering manager in the Accrington and Oswaldtwistle area for Lancashire County Council and Initial Catering Services, before transferring to a similar role for Blackburn with Darwen Council.

And now she is calling on her vast working experience to help set up her own practice -- Concerned Counselling in Blackburn -- where she helps advise people who are in stressful situations.

Veronica said: "In that working environment, I regularly encountered colleagues who were forced to miss work because of ill-health caused by stress and pressure of having to juggle home, relationships, family and their day job with everything else that this kind of life can throw at you.

"People were readily able to talk to me and I helped by listening, which is why I decided I could help more effectively if I studied and was able to do more than just listen."

Veronica, who also works as a volunteer counsellor for the Women's Centre, in Blackburn, and as a volunteer for Amnesty International, is now concentrating on building up her client list and is also about to embark on a talks programme, which will see her returning to the schools she spent 24 years at.

She added: "Sometimes people may experience life events such as divorce or even something positive like parenthood, which can make them question who they are and where they are going. Their self-esteem may take a blow or they may feel stressed.

"With counselling, they may be better able to draw on their own resources and strengths to become the person they want to be in order to achieve contentment."