Fourteen drugs support projects, which will help save and improve lives as part of the Scottish Government’s National Mission on Drugs, have been awarded funding which will ensure key frontline services continue to support those dealing with problematic drug use.
Ten projects will receive continuation funding of £2.6 million, with four new residential rehabilitation initiatives receiving £1 million.
Locally, the Angus Integrated Drug & Alcohol Recovery Service (AIDARS) will receive a grant of £298,754. This will fund the expanded delivery of wellbeing support and signposting to people affected by substance use, through four ‘Wellbean’ cafes in Angus.
In recent years Graeme has visited the Arbroath C.A.F.E. (Community Alcohol Free Environment) Project – another invaluable local initiative in its own right which also plays host to one of these Wellbean cafes.
The awards will allow those organisations providing residential rehabilitation to hire staff who can provide more in-depth support to people as they transition from rehab, develop a new women’s recovery house and upgrade existing properties.
Corra has made more than 300 National Mission grant awards to organisations across Scotland.
I’m Graeme’s Parliamentary Assistant based at Holyrood, but I support his constituency work as well. Having been Caseworker to an Aberdeenshire MP some years prior, joining Graeme's team in 2019 was a return to this line of work from a role in fundraising.