Durham’s Free the Way is celebrating a welcome cash boost of £49,824 from Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales to help support people recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.
The grant will allow the charity to deliver a new 12-step abstinence and recovery programme, funding the salary of a recovery specialist to help support users looking to break free from the cycle of addiction.
Free the Way support some of County Durham’s most vulnerable people, providing accommodation to help get those struggling with addiction off the streets and set them free from substance misuse. By providing users with a supportive living environment they can begin the rehabilitation process in a safe space, leaving them better equipped to recover from their illness and ready re-enter society and build a positive future.
Mark Steel, Recovery Lead, Free the Way said: “We at Free the Way are delighted to have been selected for this grant and to be working in partnership with Lloyds Bank Foundation. Having the ability to employ a 12-step recovery specialist, will make a huge difference to our service users in their recovery from substance abuse. The 12 steps is a well-respected route to recovery and by running workshops that are 12 steps orientated, our service users are introduced to a level of support that will stretch beyond their time with us. We feel that the best tool against substance misuse is visible recovery.”
Paul Streets, Chief Executive, Lloyds Bank Foundation said: “As our latest research has shown, there is a quiet crisis facing local authorities. Ever-tighter budgets mean vulnerable people have to rely on the support of local charities like Free the Way. They’re not just a ‘nice to have’ – their work is making a vital difference, day in, day out to people’s lives. We’re proud to partner with Free the Way as part of Lloyds Banking Group’s plan to Help Britain Prosper, supporting the costs of their work, strengthening them, and helping raise their voice among the policy-makers and decision-makers their future depends on.”
Free the Way is one of four charities in the North East and Cumbria supported in Lloyds Bank Foundation’s latest funding round, which awarded £263,813 across the region, tackling issues such as addiction, domestic violence and sexual abuse.
Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales partner with small and local charities helping people overcome complex social issues such as mental health, homelessness and domestic abuse. With the Foundation’s support, small charities like Free the Way who are often underfunded, under pressure and too often ignored, are able to make life-changing impact where others can’t.