About us: About the Road Centre and our services

It seems like a long time ago and yet like yesterday: an idea passed through our minds and, unlike so many others, stayed and wouldn't go away: to open a counselling centre and make skilled, professional counselling available to those who need it.

In those days, counselling was seen as a strange art, practised by equally strange people, in dingy, backstreet premises and we wanted to do it differently. We came across the notion of "excellence without ostentation" and made it the bench mark of our operation - from the décor of our consulting rooms to the standard of the art practised there.

We began small, just the two of us, in two small rooms in a house overlooking Durham City centre and we eyed the future with trepidation and the kind of optimism born of a good idea.

Nuala Furlong

We opened our doors on 1st December 1993 and wondered if anyone would come.

Kevin Daly

At the time, we had a job share as counsellors in a college of further education and while one of us looked after the psychological and emotional needs of the college community, the other kept vigil in the embryonic Road Centre.

Eight months after our tentative beginnings, circumstances beyond our control meant that we had to vacate our new premises and find alternative accommodation. After a few weeks of fruitless searching, someone said, "Have you tried Alington House?" We hadn't heard of Alington House and walked wearily up the hill to meet the now deceased Joan Trowbridge, who received us warmly and was sympathetic to our cause. She showed us one medium sized room and a cupboard, yes, literally a cupboard and we said, "YES PLEASE". Out came the paint brushes again and The Road Centre mark two was born. We stayed in Alington House for 13 years, during which time our business grew and our staff numbers increased.

In January 2004, we opened a new office on Tyneside. It is situated within easy reach of public transport and provides the same quality of skilled, ethical practice as that available in our main office.

In December 2007, because of the proposed re-development of Alington House, we relocated The Road Centre in Chester le Street and are optimistic and confident of it's long term development.

Nuala Furlong and Kevin Daly
Founders

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