Counselling agencies share in cash aid

Oct 8 2008 by Graham Miller, Wishaw Press

THREE voluntary groups from Motherwell are getting a share of a £28,500 windfall from North Lanarkshire Council.

The organisations help counsel people whose marriage or relationships are in trouble and they are receiving the money from the council’s housing and social work services committee.

One of the groups to benefit is First Step, who will receive £5000.

This organisation, which has been operational for six years, is a community counselling service based in Carfin but taking referrals from elsewhere.

Brenda O’Donnell, a First Step counsellor, said: “All our counsellors are volunteers and we offer mostly one-to-one counselling in areas such as addiction, stress, anxiety and bereavement. Last year the group helped over 350 people.”

Another group to benefit is Relate Lanarkshire, which is based in Motherwell’s Airbles Road, and it will receive £3500.

The marriage and relationship counselling service will use the money to help towards running costs and for training volunteer counsellors.

Scottish Marriage Care, similar to Relate, provides marriage and relationship counselling and is situated in Motherwell’s Coursington Road.

The £3500 grant received will also go towards training volunteer counsellors.

Other payments include £6650 to North Lanarkshire Access Panel. It is a group of disabled people with an interest in access issues, who offer advice to public agencies on the design or refurbishment of public buildings and spaces.

Councillor Barry McCulloch, who chairs the housing and social work services committee, said “Voluntary groups across North Lanarkshire carry out valuable work that often goes unnoticed or unrecognised.

“I am glad North Lanarkshire Council can help some of these organisations reach their aims and their target audience.

“Volunteers, often unpaid, do so much good for others.

“I’d like to thank them for their contribution towards the social well-being of North Lanarkshire citizens.”

The money is to be paid out from the council’s Section 10 grants programme, a pot totalling £475,600, exclusively set aside this financial year for voluntary groups.

Of the £475,600 set aside for voluntary groups this year, North Lanarkshire Council has already given out £418,500.

A total of £57,500 now remains.