Melanie Jones, a dedicated social worker and a founding member of the Wirral Rape Crisis Counselling Service, has passed away at the age of 71. Her friend and colleague remember her as a compassionate advocate for survivors of sexual assault and addiction.
Early Life and Education
Born in Wallasey, Merseyside, Mel was one of five children. Her mother, Mamie (née Richards), worked as a care assistant in a home for the elderly, while her father, John Jones, was a sheet metal worker at a shipyard. After attending St George's secondary modern school in Leasowe, she pursued a degree in sociology at Liverpool University, graduating in 1988. She later earned a postgraduate diploma in counselling from Liverpool John Moores University.
Founding Wirral Rape Crisis Counselling Service
In 1986, Mel, along with a small group of women in Wallasey, helped establish the Wirral Rape Crisis Counselling Service. The initiative was sparked by the tragic murder and sexual assault of Diane Sindall, a 21-year-old local florist. Initially, the group focused on erecting a memorial to Diane, raising funds through pub collections. Mel joined forces with Diane's family and other local women to organize a well-attended 'Reclaim the Night' march, which followed the route of Diane's final journey and culminated in the unveiling of a stone on Borough Road in Birkenhead.
Realizing that many within their group were survivors of sexual assault, the women shifted their focus to providing support services. The service, run entirely by volunteers, has since offered one-to-one counselling to hundreds of women and provided training for police officers on handling cases of rape and sexual assault. What began as a small local effort has grown into a Merseyside-wide organization known as RASA.
Career in Social Work
Mel began her professional career in 1993 as a counsellor at the Merseyside Drugs Council in Birkenhead. She obtained a social work qualification from Liverpool John Moores University in 2002 and spent the next three years as a social worker for Wirral social services. During this period, she also completed a year-long placement at WISH (Women in Secure Environments).
In 2005, she joined Flintshire County Council as a social worker specializing in supporting individuals with addictions. She remained in this role until her retirement in 2020. Colleagues describe her as pragmatic, humorous, and deeply committed to her clients, always helping them achieve the best possible outcomes.
Personal Life and Hobbies
Outside of work, Mel was an adventurous horsewoman. In 2013, she embarked on a solo trekking holiday in Andalusia, where she bonded with a horse named Gria and brought her back to the UK. She had owned other horses before and was known for her fearless ability to handle challenging animals.
Mel married Thomas Hoare in 1975; the couple divorced in 1992. She is survived by their three children, Becky, Daniel, and Matthew, and four grandchildren, Holly, Joe, Kira, and Leo.
