Alcohol Awareness Week is a chance for the UK to get thinking about drinking. It’s a week of awareness-raising, campaigning for change, and more. The week runs from 16-22 November and the theme this year is ‘Alcohol and mental health’.
The week will promote discussion on the link between alcohol and mental health and the best ways to look after ourselves and those we love during a year of great change and uncertainty.
Around 1 in 4 people in the UK experience a mental health problem each year and drinking too much or too often can increase our risk. But many of us are unaware of the link between alcohol and poor mental health and it’s often the first thing we turn to when we’re feeling low, stressed, worried or unable to cope.
Alcohol doesn’t only impact on individuals who drink. It will also get people thinking about how drinking affects family and friends, working lives, those living within our communities, and our society more generally.
Alcohol harm can affect any one of us, from any walk of life. But with improved understanding, forward-thinking policy and better support and treatment we can change and save lives. Here at Great Places we have two dedicated services that provide support to those affected by alcohol.
Great Places Achieve offers housing advice and support to anyone working with the Achieve drug and alcohol partnership with a housing need. Housing advice and support covers anything from benefit advice and housing registration support, to outreach with rough sleepers and working to prevent and relieve homelessness.
The service also offers floating support for complex cases; supporting tenancy sustainment for those who are at risk of losing their homes, and in providing resettlement support for people who are moving into a new home. We also provide training for the wider partnership, to upskill partners on housing issues.
Achieve supports on average around 100 people a month that are going through drug and alcohol recovery which has helped to break down barriers and enabled us to house through our partnership, some of the most vulnerable people in Greater Manchester.
In addition to Achieve we have the Docherty Project. This is a 35 unit supported housing project for men and women who are experiencing problems relating to alcohol use. The project operates under a harm reduction model; where customers are supported to reduce the harm caused by their drinking.
They support customers who have lost their accommodation due to drinking and want to engage with drinks planning which supports them to manage their alcohol consumption in a safe environment. They are then supported to move on to permanent accommodation that best suits their needs.
To find out more about Alcohol Awareness Week and practical advice, tips and support available, visit:
