SMC's Story

Scottish Marriage Care is a relationship support charity. Qualified, unpaid professional counsellors volunteer their time to provide our highly respected relationship counselling services where they are needed most.

Like many relationship counselling organisations, our beginnings lie in the aftermath of the Second World War. We were part of the Catholic Church’s response to the growing pressure on family relationships. In 1965 the first SMC counselling centre was founded in Edinburgh. Since then, relationships and family life have dramatically changed. As an independent charity we have always strived to grow and develop alongside those changes. Presently, we have over 160 unpaid professionals working from 10 centres across Scotland. We regularly partner with other family organisations, the Scottish Government, churches, and communities to provide our services.

Funding and Support for SMC

We know that without the dedication, skills and professionalism of each of our volunteers, we would not be able to deliver much needed support services to thousands of families. As a registered Scottish charity, SMC is a not for profit organisation that relies upon client donations, local supporters and grant funding. We would like to thank the following funders and major stakeholders:

- The Scottish Government Children Young People and Social Care Directorate
- The Scottish Bishops’ Conference
- Lloyds Foundation
- Glasgow Community Planning Partnership
- Third Sector Enterprise Fund
- Thistle.com
- Glasgow City Building
- St. Mungo’s Academy
- Lochend High School

The Catholic Church has provided support in the form of accommodation and overheads in: Dundee, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow, Motherwell, Paisley, Ayr and Prestwick. In addition we appreciate the financial donation given each year by the local Bishops in support of the counselling service within their areas.

SMC would like to give a big thank you to Thistle for their sponsoring SMC's banners and flags for the 2012 Celebrate Aberdeen Parade.