An office in Cambuslang is to be transformed into a purpose-built facility offering counselling services for families affected by murder and suicide.
The Loft will become a satellite office for FAMS (Families and Friends affected by Murder and Suicide) and provide much-needed support in the local area.
FAMS was originally formed by the families of victims of murder and suicide to help those affected by the loss, but has since widened its mission due to the ongoing mental health crisis in the UK.
Counsellor Karen Crooks told Lanarkshire Live : “Cambuslang has a high murder and suicide rate and there’s nothing in the area to support families affected by this - so there's a high priority for this.
“We have families from Cambuslang that have to travel into our Glasgow office and other families from that sort of area are being sent to Hamilton and Motherwell for support. More support was needed in Cambuslang.
“We’re hoping to contact the GP, Women’s Aid, as well as the Police and let them know we’re taking referrals as well as self-referrals. Anyone who has been affected by murder or suicide can come to us for support.
"Some of these people that have been affected need help straight away and can’t wait.
“We have counsellors that are trained for one-to-one appointments, we offer a support service and group therapy as well.
“We’re hoping for people from Cambuslang, Rutherglen and East Kilbride to be able to access our services easier.
“We work with such a difficult base, we have an open policy, we work with the client until they can cope better with life, we’ll only sign them off when they are ready and they can still access the group therapy, our helpline, and our befriender service.
“Some of these people had nothing before, they cut themselves off from the rest of the world.
“It’s a privilege to help them on their journey to have the best quality of life. You get so much satisfaction knowing that you’ve helped so many people. They’re so resilient and you have to admire their strength
“The families sometimes involved can become perpetrators instead of the victims. The things they have to deal with are awful. We have five ongoing court cases that we are supporting the families of.
"The full experience is traumatic and it doesn’t stop after court, people still need help to learn how to put their life back together.
“The more funding we get, the more we can open and the more therapy we can provide to people. Donations are our lifeline.
"It’s such a unique service, thankfully not everyone needs our service, but it is growing.
“We think we are going to be a permanent fixture in Cambuslang, this has been years in the making. I’m excited about the opening of the new office, but I’m sad that there is a need for it.
“I am so grateful to FAMS, they have given me a lifeline, they know what they are doing and are well equipped. Ann-Marie Cocozza, who founded FAMS saw how important the service is, so she started it in Motherwell and she helped me with it in Cambuslang.”
The Cambuslang office is due to open on Wednesday, March 30.
To book a meeting at either the Loft or their Glasgow office or simply to enquire more about FAMS and the services they can provide, please call 01698 249 443 or email info@FAMS.chat.
Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
And did you know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook? Head on over and give us a like and share!
