Sixty Years of Supporting Relationships

Sixty Years of Supporting Relationships

Relationship Services marked its Diamond Anniversary today, and just like the many couples it has helped over those years, it knows anniversaries are worth celebrating.

At a lunch to mark its anniversary, Relationship Services’ Patron, Governor-General, Hon Sir Anand Satyanand, said the organisation had made a valuable contribution to New Zealand over the past 60 years. “You have provided relationship counselling to New Zealanders across the length and breadth of the country, working with many thousands of New Zealanders when they needed help,” he said.

From a network of trained and dedicated volunteers, it has grown to become New Zealand’s largest provider of professional counselling and relationship education.

“The objective that was embarked on in 1949 remains the same. We are still changing lives, helping New Zealanders improve their relationships, particularly with those closest to them,” said Jeff Sanders, Chief Executive.

Established in 1949 as Marriage Guidance, it has provided affordable, professional counselling to hundreds of thousands of couples, families and individuals. In the last year alone it worked with 28,000 people.

“Those highly trained and dedicated volunteers built an organisation which became an integral part of New Zealand,” said Mr Sanders.

The name was changed to Relationship Services in 1994, reflecting changes in society, and that it worked with people in many different situations, not just married couples.

Five long serving staff, with 120 years service between them, were special guests. Kirsty Robertson, now Clinical Leader in Nelson, joined Marriage Guidance in 1983 as a trainee volunteer counsellor. “There have been huge changes over that time, from volunteers working almost entirely with married couples, to the very diverse range of people and issues we work with now.”

“However, the values of the organisation remain very much the same. We still believe that people can make real changes in their lives, and it is a privilege to help clients achieve them.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media