Children and adults affected by a family member’s drinking problem are to benefit from £133, 140 of capital funding which will be used to refurbish a community alcohol hub.
Improvements to the existing hub, based in Bransholme but used by people across the city, will include making the building more family-friendly, enabling family sessions to be held there.
It will also refurbish group spaces and clinical facilities and upgrading a mobile health and wellbeing van which delivers assessments and treatment across the city. GP surgeries will also be kitted out with specialist equipment.
The Hull City Council Public Health team and service provider ReNew submitted a bid for the Public Health England (PHE) funding last year. The total of £6 million available nationally has been split between 23 local authority projects across the country, including Yorkshire and Humber locations Bradford and Leeds.
One man who has used the Hull hub praised the help available there. He said: “From entering the service on my hands and knees, the support I have received has been amazing.
“I completed a detox and went onto aftercare where I also had support of peers who have been through the same journey.
“With the help of these genuine caring professionals I have changed not only my life but also my family and friends’ lives. ReNew has a warm welcoming atmosphere and has been much needed in helping me”.
Julia Weldon, director of public health at Hull City Council, said: “A lot of work and research went into the bid and we’re very pleased to have been successful in securing this funding. The work at the hub with people who have alcohol problems and their families is crucial – recovery isn’t just about treating the individual, their families and support networks are affected too.
“The treatment delivered isn’t about shaming or judging people in any way. The aim is simply to support people to get better by working with them and their loved ones and providing the help they need”.
Carlie Dunn, project manager for alcohol prevention and early intervention at ReNew, said: “This funding will enable us to extend our provision across the community and support more people with harmful and hazardous drinking levels and more at-risk and vulnerable members of the community”.
