Hope Centre receives vital grant aid

A vital community project aimed at improving the lives of young people and their families dealing with addiction was officially launched last Wednesday by Ballymena Family and Addicts Support group.

Based in the Hope Centre on Broughshane Street, the group launched the five year ‘It’s My Life’ project courtesy of £320,480 funding from the Big Lottery Fund’s Reaching Out: Empowering Young People programme.

The project will run a range of services providing support for young people whose lives have been affected by drug and alcohol addiction.

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As well as offering help, advice and a range of activities and rehabilitation services for the young people, the project will also offer support for their family members and carers, many of whom are also dealing with addiction. Project workers will also visit local schools to educate young people about the dangers of addiction and the project is also planning to run health events and an awareness day to help the local community understand the impact of drug and alcohol misuse.

Activities and services on offer to the young people and their families will include group sessions and discussions on a range of issues, gym sessions and personal fitness, diet and nutrition plans.

They will also take part in one-to-one support sessions aimed at raising their self-esteem and self-worth, art therapy for self expression and complimentary therapies for detox, relaxation and to help with their sleep patterns.

Statistics show that many young people with addictions also have parents with an addiction. Out of 190 young people registered with us, 116 have parents dealing with drug or alcohol addiction, so it’s clear young people are copying the choices taken by family members,” explained Centre Manager Anne Henry.

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She continued: “We are going to run after-school and evening projects for young people aged from eight up to 20. Young people aged eight to 13 will receive education on alcohol and smoking in their school and will be able to attend a weekly after school club in the centre.

“While young people aged 14-17 will take part in a structured prevention programme in the centre that will look at improving their mental and physical health, and those aged 18-20 will take part in a programme looking at their rehabilitation and moving forward.

“We can educate young people about addiction, but if they are going home to family members who are drinking and taking drugs then they are more likely to continue to do it too,” said Anne.

Parents will get the chance to take part in one-to-one counselling and education sessions, as well as parenting and bonding classes and family trips. Addiction can lead to the loss of trust between parents and their children, so we are going to help rebuild that and support parents to tackle their own addictions,” she said.

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Anne explained that the project will help to tackle a range of issues affecting the lives of the young people involved.

“This project will help to reduce young people’s drugs and alcohol intake, aim to prevent them from getting involved in criminal activity and help to change their attitudes and the attitudes of their families and carers about substance misuse,” she said.

“It will also improve young people’s health, fitness and self-esteem, helping to rebuild family relationships and offering them stability and trust, while also educating the wider community about addiction so people have a better understanding about it and can make informed choices.”

“The project is a real boost to the delivery of services at the centre and will enable support team to work with more vulnerable young and their families. All these activities together will help the young person as a whole and give them a better chance of leading a normal healthy meaningful life.”

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Frank Hewitt, Big Lottery Fund NI Chair, said: “The Big Lottery Fund’s £20 million Reaching Out: Empowering Young People programme supports isolated and vulnerable young people in Northern Ireland, including those who have been disengaged from education, involved in crime or in care.

“Ballymena Family and Addict Support Group’s It’s My Life project will support the most isolated young people in the Ballymena area, helping to improve their lives and boost their opportunities,” he said.

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