WDP News
Find out more about our exciting developments in drug and alcohol treatment and rehabilitation across London and the South East of England
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WDP Events for Tackling Drugs Changing Lives Week |
The week aimed to:
- Raise awareness of work undertaken by agencies and police forces to reduce drug-related crime and harm
- Address local communities' perceptions of drug use in their area and to build confidence in the work of local agencies
- Demonstrate to the public that tangible improvements are being made in communities across the country.
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WDP Lobbies Parliament for Misuse of Drugs Act Amendment
WDP and The Conference Consortium are pushing to improve drug agencies’ ability to provide further harm reduction interventions for service users.
As an active board member of The Conference Consortium (a group of like-minded agencies working to promote Harm Reduction), WDP has recently participated in lobbying the Cross-Party Group on Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Harm Reduction, in meetings at the House of Commons. Section 9A of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 currently prevents agencies from providing certain types of injecting equipment, and other route transition interventions in our services.
As a result of our lobbying, MPs have tabled two amendments to the Policing and Crime Bill that will omit or amend Section 9A in order to remove these legal barriers. The bill is expected to be debated in the House of Commons within the next four weeks. We are hopeful that the lobbying with our colleagues via The Conference Consortium, will enable WDP to have real influence at Parliament on other matters in the future which could lead to important changes in the law and Government policy, leading to better results for the people we help and their communities.
The Conference Consortium is a unique collaboration, operating as a social enterprise. It is dedicated to organising conferences and other events promoting the adoption of the most appropriate, relevant and effective policies and practice, in response to the problems presented by drug and alcohol use.
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The Core Trust Merges with WDP |
The Core Trust and Westminster Drug Project (WDP) have been working together in recent years, and have now taken their association further by completing a merge process so that The Core Trust has become part of WDP. This relationship with WDP provides Core with much needed resources and support which will ensure its fantastic work continues in the years ahead.
Importantly, The Core Trust’s identity and values will remain unchanged and the organisation will continue to provide the life changing services that it has successfully delivered to so many people over the last 25 years.
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WDP exhibition to support World AIDS Day
WDP’s Wandsworth service opened its annual Art Exhibition on Monday 1st December 2008 to commemorate World AIDS Day.
Following the success of the previous two years’ exhibitions, WDP are delighted to continue the tradition with an exhibition of new artwork from its incredibly talented service users.
Wandsworth’s Open Access Team Manager Dave Bouldin says, “One of our objectives is to steer our clients away from drugs and crime by developing their unused talents in a variety of areas including artistic expression, writing, and music. We put on an annual art exhibition of our client’s work that has been a great success, enabling a number of drug users to move away from criminality into developing their hidden potential”.
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WDP Nominated for Award
WDP's service in Brent, which operates within the Criminal Justice System, was recently nominated for an award from the Association of Chief Police Officers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (ACPO) in advance of their conference. The awards are held as a way of recognising the effort and achievement of officers, staff and partners.
WDP’s Brent team was nominated by an independent consultant who has previously worked as a DIP Performance Manager. He stated that, “the systems currently in place in Wembley Police Station are the best I have ever evaluated.”
The nomination also detailed the excellent partnership work around the Tough Choices element of DIP between WDP and the Metropolitan Police.
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WDP Harrow Road Tea Party
WDP’s Harrow Rd service in London held a tea party on Wednesday 24th September to celebrate the WDP Peer Advocates (affectionately known within the company as ‘The A-Team’), and to promote all of WDP’s services throughout Westminster.
The event was a great success; over 60 staff, volunteers, partner agencies and members of local government came and enjoyed networking and finding out more about WDP’s services over tea and cake. |
Members of WDP's Peer Advocate Service pose with MP Karen Buck.
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Foundations Westminster Camping Trip
Foundations Westminster Aftercare Service in partnership with the Cardinal Hume Centre recently organised a camping trip to Worth Abbey, Sussex for its clients who have been working hard at a successful recovery.
The aim of the trip was to promote greater service user involvement in Westminster services, as well as allowing service users time to reflect, team building, build new social networks, advanced goal setting and of course, to have some fun! |
Team activities included the renovation of Bermondsey huts and its surrounding area; as well as some relaxing including bowling and trips to the cinema. The trip was a storming success and Foundations Westminster are hoping to make this an annual event.
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WDP Run External Training Courses - Foundations Learning
Foundations Learning is a new training service supplied by WDP. A range of courses will be running from September 2008 from our headquarters located in central London. |
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WDP News - WDP at Bonkersfest!
WDP recently ran a stall at Bonkersfest! mental health awareness festival on Camberwell Green in Southwark, London. Visitors to the stall shared their ideas on what mental health and drugs mean to them by drawing and writing their thoughts on the WDP ideas board. |
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The Core Trust Garden Party
Despite the rain, The Core Trust had a successful and well attended garden party this year on the 9th of July. Staff, clients and partner agencies came together to catch up, network and celebrate another successful year at Core. Westminster Councillor Barbara Graheme did the honour of cutting the ribbon to open the day’s festivities.
The Core Trust is a WDP service based in Marylebone which offers innovative ways to deal with drug and alcohol addiction using a blend modern psychology with complementary therapies. Please visit The Core Trust website for more information.
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WDP News - The Westminster Peer Advocacy Pilot Scheme
Since completing a 4 week training course at WDP in advanced communication skills, the Westminster Peer Advocates have been providing all of the substance misuse services in Westminster with a much needed and well received programme. The volunteers have been supporting clients by sharing experiences, offering practical support, escorting to appointments as well as talking through treatment choices and concerns.
This is an incredibly successful service and we hope to duplicate it’s success in other boroughs across London in the coming months.
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Visitors from Hong Kong
On Monday 16th June WDP hosted a visit from nine social workers from Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, Community Services Division, Hong Kong. They visited WDP premises in Harrow Road in order to meet our staff and volunteers and to share different ways of working in London and Hong Kong. The focus of discussions was on Drug Interventions Programme services and harm reduction.
The visit was a huge success and WDP employees were pleased to receive a reciprocal invitation to Hong Kong!
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Westminster Drug Project Hosts World Hepatitis Day Event
Westminster Drug Project’s service on Harrow Road held an event to raise awareness about hepatitis on 23 May in response to World Hepatitis Day, which took place earlier in the week, on 19 May. |
The Aim
The main aim of this event was to raise awareness about hepatitis within the borough, and to highlight recently commissioned services.
A Successful Day |
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WDP Wandsworth Stage Event to Raise Awareness about Drugs in Minority Communities
Wandsworth Drug Project and the Khalsa Centre Panjabi Class in Tooting joined forces to stage a lively cultural event to raise awareness about healthy living among local minority groups.
Wandsworth Drug Project advised visitors of the Sikh community on services available to residents of the borough of Wandsworth, should they require help with any substance misuse issues they are experiencing. |
The team raised awareness in minority communities by setting up a stand at the event where people approached them with questions, as well as giving a presentation highlighting the health implications of using drugs and alcohol, giving advice and distributing leaflets. |
This event took place on the 25th April 2008 at Wandsworth town hall and was a great success. Over 700 people of all ages attended. Food and drinks were provided and the night featured lively entertainment provided by the Khalsa Centre Panjabi Class including traditional ethnic dancing. The children of the centre also be performed a play on the Sikh story of Bhai Kanahiya Ji who was a role model to Sikh people over 300 years ago, promoting kindness and social and moral values. |
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WDP's Westminster Drug Interventions Programme (DIP) Wins Award
Tackling Drug Supply Awards |
An impact study undertaken by Westminster DIP demonstrated that offending rates dropped significantly following engagement with the programme. This has proved an asset in promoting the scheme both with in and outside of the partnership in terms of its effectiveness as a tool in crime reduction. |
Faye Williamson and David
Eastwood with the award
Key Achievements:
• Since the introduction of Tough Choices, Westminster has consistently performed well meeting or exceeding all compact targets and receiving ‘green’ in all areas of our RAG performance status.
• Westminster DIP are one of the best performing London Boroughs, despite being by far the largest and most complex programme in the UK.
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