Working Together, Supporting Relationships
The Coronavirus pandemic is leading to big changes in the way we live our lives. Our relationships play an important role in the way we deal with these changes, but social distancing, isolation and other worries can put them under further pressure.
The Relationships Alliance, made up of four leading relationship charities, has come together to share the range of support available to people during these challenging times.
Made up of Marriage Care, OnePlusOne, Relate and Tavistock Relationships, the alliance is offering a range of supportive services during this time of social distancing, whether people are finding themselves pushed together or apart.
Marriage Care is providing webcam counselling and relationship booster sessions. OnePlusOne is continuing to offer expert advice and supportive online community forums.
Relate is offering webcam and phone counselling as well as its Live Chat service and dedicated online information and advice. Tavistock Relationships is also providing dedicated counselling and psychotherapy for couples online.
In a joint statement, the four leaders of the organisations in The Relationships Alliance commented: “Relationships are at the heart of everything we do. Now, when they matter so much, we are seeing relationships placed under greater pressure. We want people to know that we are here to help. If they need relationship support, we are available and ready to offer expert guidance and reassurance.”
The charities have produced a simple infographic (insert link to this) to outline the various relationship support services available.
Minister for Employment Mims Davies MP said: “These organisations lead the way in supporting parents to deal with conflict, helping children get the best start in life so they have better prospects at school and in the working world.
“This support has never been needed more due to the current health emergency. At a time when, perhaps, many relationships are being tested, it is vital families continue to have good access to this support.”
Notes to Editors
- The Relationships Alliance shares a vision in which relationships are supported and recognised as an integral part of a thriving society. Each member has experience spanning a range of relationship support services, from research to direct service provision. From digital self-help to counselling and therapy, it aims to offer a range of services which support people in making smart choices around forming and maintaining good quality relationships.
- Marriage Care has been helping people understand and improve the quality of their relationships for over 70 years. The charity provides a donation-only counselling service as well as pre-marriage sessions that enable couples to build a lasting future together; delivered by dedicated, professionally trained volunteers in over 300 community settings nationwide. For further information go to marriagecare.org.uk or to request an interview please contact Mark Molden – mark@marriagecare.org.uk or 07791 400 028
- OnePlusOne is a leading relationships charity with almost five decades’ experience in relationship science. It aims to strengthen relationships for couples, families, communities and workplaces using evidence-based digital resources and training. For further information or to request an interview on relationship matters, contact Tabitha Frangoullides, OnePlusOne communications manager on 07720 710 490 or tabitha@oneplusone.org.uk
- Relate is the leading relationships charity and the Relate Federation is the largest provider of relationship support in England and Wales. Offering counselling, information, mediation and support to individuals, couples and families, we currently work online and on the phone with people of all backgrounds and sexual orientations at all stages of life. We also provide expert training for relationship support practitioners. Find out more at relate.org.uk. Please note, our face-to-face services are currently closed due to COVID-19.
Contact Sarah Osmik on 0207 554 2895 for media enquiries or email sarah.osmik@relate.org.uk.
- Tavistock Relationships is a leading relationship support charity which provides therapeutic support to couples, parents and individuals through face-to-face and remote therapy and counselling (couple and individual), relationship-focused parenting groups, and targeted support (e.g. for people on no/low income who are facing relationship problems). We also devise and test couple-focused interventions across the life-course (e.g. supporting couples where one partner has dementia). Tavistock Relationships is also a leading training institution, training practitioners to become qualified couple therapists through a variety of postgraduate programmes.
Contact: Richard Meier – rmeier@tavistockrelationships.org / 07973 444 061