Whether you are thinking about getting married, have been married for some time or are experiencing difficulties within your marriage, there are many organisations which can offer help and support, strengthen and sustain you.

Getting married in church
From the Church of England website.

2-in-2-1
A very useful website, the one place to visit to shape, enrich, maintain or repair your marriage.

Residential and Church based programmes

Promoting Marriage
An umbrella group, under the auspices of the Chriatian charity Care for the Family, for those organisations offering marriage enrichment programmes, mainly on weekends.
01344 779658 (David and Liz Percival)

Marriage Encounter (Anglican)
The largest member of Promoting Marriage. The weekend offers couples the opportunity to explore their attitudes, feelings, hopes and fears about important areas of their relationship in a spirit of love and understanding. Nationwide venues. Also Engaged Encounter weekends for couples preparing for marriage.
01344 779658 (David and Liz Percival )

'In parish' or tailor-made programmes for churches with facilitators

HTB: The Marriage Course & The Marriage Preparation Course
0845 644 7533 : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Association for Marriage Enrichment
01278 741302

ILM Relational Ministry (formerly Intimate Life Ministries)
01926 430889

One Accord (formerly Marriage Review)
01798 345222

Mission to Marriage
01654 702656

Resources for use in a parish

Care for the Family
A Christian charity which organises local events, film showings, bookstalls. Resources including books & videos on marriage eg '60 Minute Marriage'.
029 2081 0800

Christian Publishing and Outreach (CPO)
Workbooks for use by couples and "Time for each other" videos produced by Family College.
01903 263354

Prepare/Enrich UK
A network of practitioners who use psychometric inventories to assist couples build a strong marriage.
02380 216003

Family Caring Trust
'Couples Alive", a 6 session course with video and workbooks focused on relationship skills and conflict management. Pioneered by Michael Quinn.
0283 026 4174

Marriage Care
A set of three videos produced and entitled "Conflict, Communication and Commitment".
020 7371 1341

Oxfordshire Community Family Trust
Biblically based courses.
01993 772375

Family Matters Institute
Works to bring together churches and secular agencies to provide marriage support in a locality. FMI have a resources book.
01767 641002

National Association for Community Family Trusts
01823 432420

Marriage Care and Counselling

Marriage Resource
A national Christian charity with local branches which offer assistance with preparation, enrichment and counselling. Also training within the parish and guidance in policy development.
01202 849000

Oxfordshire Christian Institute for Counselling (OCIC)
A local Christian organisation offering counselling and training in pastoral care based in Headington.
01865 308 889

Marriage Care
Locally based counsellors
01865 749806

Care for the Family
Offer a counselling referral service for anyone, plus a specific Church Leaders counselling service which provides confidential support for church leaders and their families. There is an answerphone service outside office hours.
029 2081 0800 (general)
029 2081 4067 (church leaders)

RELATE Oxfordshire
A locally based counselling service offering sex therapy and relationship education supporting couples and families
01865 242960

British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
Provide a list of counsellors by county
01788 550899