Our History

Our History

 Background

The Notre Dame Centre (formerly the Notre Dame Child Guidance Clinic and Fern Tower Adolescent Unit) is a non-denominational organisation which was founded in 1931 in response to the demand from parents, teachers and other professionals for specialised provision to deal with disturbed children. The Centre is still renowned for its innovative and unique approach to the treatment of children and young people with emotional and behavioural problems.

 Our Foundress

Marie Hilda Marley was born in Bishop Auckland in 1876.  She joined the Sisters of Notre Dame in Liverpool in 1898.  After gaining a first in history in London she studied psychology at the University of Louvain.  In 1929 she returned to London to train with Doctor Emmanuel Miller at his clinic in the Jewish free school.  While a lecturer in psychology at Notre Dame Teacher Training College she opened in 1931 the first Child Guidance Clinic in Scotland as an extension of her work at the college.

Sister Marie Hilda was diminutive and described as a 'bustling, cheerful, kindly, miniature dynamo'. She made no secret of her considerable deafness and had the habit of holding on to the sleeve of interlocutors to facilitate her ability to lip-read. She held the forthright view that 'we are all abnormal' and had an approach to families in difficulties that endeared her to her adopted fellow citizens until her death in post in 1951. Despite support from her superiors she encountered suspicion of psychology from members of the Church. She declared that in certain situations prayer was 'no good' and once advised a prominent Jesuit to become an atheist for a couple of weeks!  She was a fellow of the British Psychological Society and hosted several of its meetings in her clinic in the 1930s.

On the death of Sister Marie Hilda in 1951, Sister Jude (Maureen McAleer) was appointed as Director.  Sister Jude continued the work of Marie Hilda for 25 years.  There were many important milestones during these years but without doubt the most significant was the opening of Fern Tower in 1967.