Our history
Great social movements come from humble beginnings. Relate began life as the Marriage Guidance Council in 1938 through the pioneering work of Dr Herbert Gray who was committed to safeguarding the family as the basis of community life. Counselling was delivered from a small London office, opened in 1943, and over 8,000 clients were seen by a group of dedicated volunteers over the next five years.
In the 1950s, as family life began to recover after the traumas of the war years, the Marriage Guidance Council began to be recognised as a national institution providing dedicated and valuable work. In 1988, Relate re-launched in recognition of our widened access to same sex couples, single people, children and young people and families. Today we have evolved into a modern, thriving organisation providing innovative responses to the needs of the communities we serve.
The Bedford Marriage Guidance Council was established in 1951. In 1988 we became Relate Bedford (Marriage Guidance). In February 2003 the centre became a company limited by guarantee, registered as Relate Bedford working in north and mid Beds. The Closure of Relate South Bedfordshire and Luton in 2004 led to Relate Bedford taking over service delivery for the whole of Bedfordshire and Luton and we changed our name to Relate Bedfordshire and Luton.
2011 will be our Diamond Celebration, marking 60 years of service to the people of Bedfordshire!
Our highly skilled workforce enable clients to feel better about their relationships which has an impact on their ability to work at school, to maintain a stable home life and to get involved in their community. In housing, health, employment and emotional wellbeing, people who use Relate services see positive outcomes – Relate makes a difference at the heart of our society and our local community in Bedfordshire and Luton.