2as1/Relate National Awareness Campaign – Take Charge – Keep the Love Alive.

The Keep the Love Alive survey was compiled as part of the 2as1/Relate National Awareness campaign to understand the attitudes of Black people towards relationships and relationship counselling. Of the total 793, 000 (ONS) 16-64 Adult Black population, the campaign effectively reached 681,234 which is 85%.

Findings

• The campaign generated the first piece of quantitative research in the sector on attitudes to relationship support for the Black community.
• The survey findings and campaign confirmed the commonly held view that many Black people do not feel that current services are designed for them.
• Regardless of cultural differences, relationship issues and challenges faced by individuals are often the same. However, mode and method of delivery in which support is delivered must be tailored and appropriately meet the needs of individuals, communities and cultures.
• A high proportion of Black people feel it is important to receive help from a person/agency that is your own culture and shares the same values system.

Outcomes

• Both the survey and campaign were able to create a greater understanding of Black people’s perceptions of relationships, counselling (such as whether people consider counselling at the onset of a relationship or during a relationship when there is no particular crisis, or whether counselling is only the last resort, or no resort at all), and if it is no resort at all, what are the particular barriers among the Black community.
• This campaign was a good example of how specialist agencies can help the Government in providing evidence and research on the barriers pressures and issues that Black people and other commonly excluded groups face.

For further details, please email researchforum@2as1.net