CrossReach centre praised on anniversary

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Rt Rev Dr Iain Greenshields, joined staff and guests to celebrate the 60th anniversary of CrossReach’s Tom Allan Centre in November.

The Glasgow centre was originally conceived by the Rev Tom Allan as a rehabilitation centre in 1961. Over time, the focus moved to general adult counselling, and since 2006 it has housed the Bluebell Perinatal Service and Crèche. From April 2021 to March 2022 about 400 individuals and families received support from the service.

Following a tour of the centre and hearing from people who have been supported through its services, Dr Greenshields said: “I came to the Tom Allan Centre 35 years ago with Cranhill Parish, which was my church at that time and where we did a counselling project. Today I have seen the transformation that has taken place. It rightly is not the same. It’s different. It’s relevant and it’s meeting the needs in and around Glasgow in a powerful way. I have once again been inspired by what has been done by CrossReach.”

CrossReach, the Church of Scotland’s social care provider, relies on the generosity of clients and supporters to fund its counselling services, including those provided by the Tom Allan and Bluebell Perinatal Services, with each counselling session costing around £50.