While in previous years teachers in Wales may have been able to work out their problems unaided, the financial pressures of recent months have meant that increasing numbers of ordinary teachers have found themselves in impossible situations.

Take the case of Mary, for instance. A middle aged teacher with many years’ service, Mary called us after her husband left her, leaving her to care for their two sons alone.

A succession of family bereavements has added to Mary’s feelings of helplessness and loss. At the same time, her husband’s creditors have been hounding her for payment of debts of which she had no knowledge. Mary has been struggling to keep herself and her two sons while working full-time and paying the mortgage.

Not surprisingly, she has been diagnosed with depression, which has been exacerbated by high blood pressure and the added stress of having one son with chronic asthma. Things reached breaking point when, following months of struggling to pay her mortgage, Mary was served with a repossession order.

Mary is neither feckless nor extravagant. She is not irresponsible. By the time she calls us, she will have tried desperately to confront her difficulties, but been overwhelmed by them. Like Mary, a significant number of those teachers who contact us right now are in danger of having their homes repossessed. Most are physically and emotionally exhausted. There’s no doubt that their work – and their health – are suffering.

But Mary isn’t just one teacher. There are many Marys – and Michaels – in the teaching profession, often with heartbreaking tales to tell. Mary is the full-time teacher who took on extra tutoring until the recession put paid to this work. The teacher who took out loans to meet day-to-day obligations and is finding it impossible to pay them back. Mary is a retired teacher and a carer who struggles with her own ill health and badly needs a break.

One of our aims at Teacher Support Cymru is to help ensure that these teachers are able to give their very best in the classroom. In the current economic climate, life is unbearable for all too many teachers.

Helping to provide the right kind of support to individuals and their families can be a lengthy process. Every teacher who gets in touch receives free, confidential support from someone who understands their problems and can offer constructive, expert help.

Please make a donation today, so that we can continue to provide a vital lifeline for teachers like Mary. Thank you.

Many ways to donate:

• Make a one-time donation
• Start a legacy
• Donate by direct debit
• Donate through your salary

Sincerely,

Julian Stanley
Chief Executive, Teacher Support Cymru