News Archive
WDP EVENTS FOR TACKLING DRUGS CHANGING LIVES WEEK
The Home Office’s annual Tackling Drugs Changing Lives week took place from the 8 – 12 June 2009. WDP services ran events throughout the week, from information stands to open days.
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
Back to Top
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE CORE TRUST MERGES WITH WDP
For over twenty years The Core Trust has pioneered new ways of dealing with alcohol and substance addiction. Core's innovative abstinent based programmes blend traditional therapies with complementary therapies, and offer a range of services to help clients overcome addiction. The Core Trust also operates its CoreKids programme which works with the children and families affected by alcohol or substance misuse. |
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.
Back to Top
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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”.
Back to Top
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
Back to Top
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
Back to Top
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
Back to Top
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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. |
Back to Top
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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. |
Back to Top
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
Back to Top
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
Back to Top
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISITORS FROM HONG KONG
On Monday 16th June 2008 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!
Back to Top
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
WDP 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 |
Back to Top
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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. |
Back to Top
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
Back to Top
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
WDP WORKER RECEIVES AWARD
WDP’s Rachel Hassan has been announced as a winner of this year’s Leadership Awards within Westminster. The awards recognise individuals who have made great efforts to the benefit of the local community |
The prizes were given out by the Lord Mayor of Westminster on 21st February at the Lord Mayor’s parlour. Each nominee required at least three nominations, which came from both service users and other professionals. A panel of Westminster councillors and MPs decided the winners.
Rachel runs The Christopher Project, a service operating out of WDP’s Harrow Road premises. Its aim is to reach out to those who are indirectly affected by drug use, whether that is the families, partners and friends of drug users, or the wider community.
Rachel wants to redress this imbalance in drug treatment: ‘they are often the forgotten element in drug services. There’s a whole range of options open to drug users, but if someone you are close to is a drug user it’s likely to have a huge impact on your life as well.’
Her nomination came as a shock: ‘I was surprised to be nominated as The Christopher Project has only been running since January 2005. But I’m really proud to receive the award, and I hope that it will allow us to move the service on and grow as a team.’
Part of the reason Rachel received this award was the outstanding work that The Christopher Project does with black and minority ethnic groups. Great efforts are made to target these groups through attending and arranging events, raising the awareness of drug issues within the community.
One element of the work she’d like the service to develop is with vulnerable tenants. Rather than waiting until the neighbours of known ‘crack houses’ experience problems, Rachel would like to intervene and try to avert a crisis developing. If eviction can be prevented through a change in the tenant’s behaviour then it works to everyone’s advantage.
The Christopher Project offers a wide range of support to people who are close to someone affected by drug issues. Group therapy sessions are offered to the family members of drug users. Often people in this situation feel embarrassed and isolated. By sharing their problems with other people, and realising they are not alone, family members can often find huge benefits.
The Christopher Project is named after the nephew of a Westminster councillor who died of a Heroin overdose. The councillor was amazed that there was no support on offer to the family after this tragedy, and contacted WDP to set up a service for this purpose. Not only does the service provide much needed support for family members, this can in turn play a huge role in preventing relapse for a drug user.
Rachel hopes that the award will lead to an expansion in her team so that more can be done for the community: ‘we want to deliver a community led service that is in touch with the needs of the people it serves.’
Back to Top
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
CLIENT ART EXHIBITION GAINS POSITIVE RESPONSE AT WANDSWORTH
More than 100 clients of WDP’s Wandsworth project recently participated in an exhibition of their artwork, with a wide range of creative work on display.
Wandsworth’s Open Access manager, David Bouldin was keen to stress the importance of the exhibition, stating that art and poetry have always been encouraged as a form of therapeutic expression for clients, and adding that art can be a good way of clients using their imagination and artistic skills to help address their personal struggle against addiction. |
The Wandsworth exhibition was so popular and successful with clients and visitors that it has become a yearly fixture at the project, and one that will hopefully provide inspiration to other aspiring artists. |
©2010 Westminster Drug Project Ltd. All rights reserved.