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The collapse of a leading counselling service has left hundreds of London couples to cope with marriage problems on their own.
A cash crisis has forced the relationship charity Relate to cancel all appointments with counsellors at its six north London offices from today.
Relate North London, which held more than 6,000 counselling and sex therapy sessions last year, was being placed in liquidation at a meeting of creditors this afternoon.
In a letter to clients, RNL's trustees blamed the recession for its financial crisis, saying more clients than ever were asking for a reduction in fees.
The letter, from trustees Jonathan Jewell, Lane Bednash, Paul O'Sullivan and Sara Zalin, said: "Since the autumn some of our clients have found it difficult to pay. We have taken steps to help some clients but this increases our financial fragility."
Although Relate hopes to transfer clients to North West and North East city branches, couples said the closure gave them extra uncertainty and stress when they are least able to handle it.
Sarah Randall, 34, from Golders Green, who was having relationship counselling with her partner Jeff, said: "Our counsellor told us three weeks ago, 'We're going to have to draw our sessions to an end'. That is not ideal, to put it mildly, when you are trying to work through serious emotional issues.
"My initial feeling was shock, then I was annoyed. This is stress we don't need. Something should have been put in place for couples left in the lurch.
"Relate is as important to the UK's well-being as doctors' surgeries. I think the Government should help out and look after the emotional sector, not just put money into the banks."
RNL, one of 70 branches of Relate around the UK, had centres in Finchley, Golders Green, Mill Hill, Southgate, Wood Green and Potters Bar and had been going since 1999.
In a statement its trustees said it would discuss options for continued counselling with existing clients. It added: "All new clients can call Relate's national number 01302 347892 to find their nearest centre or service.
"We are already in discussion with neighbouring branches to minimise disruption to clients and staff."
The latest set of accounts for RNL showed that in the year to March 2008 it had to draw £26,596 from its cash reserves to cover losses. In the previous year it was £82,181 in the red.
Reader views (5)
Having used the Relate service myself I found it helpful, (although help came too late to save my lovely marriage, due to a long waiting list and my wife in the 3 months that followed had initiated divorce proceedings).
Funding from government is justified, as the cost of family breakdown is extremely high both in the short-term and also long-term (impacting future generations). The cost of funding Relate can be weighed with social and economic costs and with the principle of supporting people in time of their greatest and urgent need.
In a time of crisis there can be a fine edge between family breakdown and recovery. A long waiting time allows problems to fester and can make it harder to repair relationships.
I believe that family Counselling organisations need to adopt a greater emphasis on helping facilitate repair of marriages (assuming the absense of abusive or loveless relationships or adultry), rather than the fashionable more neutral non-directive stance, that does not "interfere". Since marriage is a mutually agreed contract that implies commitment, self-sacrifice and working at it, based on the promises made. Counselling while not forcing people to stay together, should not support the notion that either party can legitimately choose to opt out of marriage for convenience of running after third parties.
As with other choice issues - those who initiate divorce can later live to regret this, as their actions made in haste create irreversable damage.
- Geoff - Upminster, Upminster, Essex
not only do Relate North London deal with couple counselling but also families in crisis, sexual relations that have a problem, single people, mediation services and we worked with school children in schools who were having problems
- Christine Carter, north london
untill yesterday I worked for Relate Noth London as an administrator, 5 of us were given notice at 11 am. We worked for the minium wage and had tried for some years to keep the service going with no financial input for the goverment who are happy to pick up the pieces when couples split and children are in the middle.No lotery grants, nothing from the health service, our boroughs had withdrawn grants so we are no longer there for people who need us
- Christine Carter, north london
The recession seems a convenient thing to blame this on if, as your report says, they had a big defecit from previous financial years. It does, though leave a gaping hole of no support across swathes of north london for couples having problems.
The trouble with transferring cases to other branches is that it's just too far to travel. it's just not feasible to travel to Ilford or wherever. why don't the other branches run sessions a bit closer in to town... like tottenham or walthamstow?
- Joe, finsbury park
This government and the tories say that international aid is a prority, what a joke. We should first start aid here in this country. Couples seeking help to keep their families together should get all the help they need and the tories say marraige is important, it doesn't look it. Why cannot this government give money to charities like this. In this time of crisis many families are falling apart, I know as we had a friend with similar problems and tried getting an appointment with Relate, which was many months ahead and it would have been far too late. With a lot of courage and prayer they made it and the main cause was the financial issues. Why cannot our governments look after the people of this country instead of throwing money to other countries. There would be many people writing and giving their comments why we should help other countries, I dont think you would be doing it if your family was falling apart, would you give your neighbour any help? Doubt it.
- Sarah, ealing
