To honour Maggie Telfer OBE’s life and work as CEO of Bristol Drugs Project we are today launching with Noni’s Coffee Roasters a dedicated coffee blend.
Fresh strong coffee was the trade-mark of a meeting with Maggie, and this is why this collaboration felt so fitting. Money raised by the new blend will be used to support the Trainee Scheme at BDP.
The fund will offer resources to trainees to embrace the interests and activities that bring them joy, and support their wellbeing as they train to enter the workforce.
Bristol Drugs Project will be open as normal on Monday 19th September, Please read the below information for more information about specific services.
BDP’s Advice Centre and Needle Exchange will be open between 9am – 5pm.
If you have any concerns about your opiate substitution medication, please pop in or give us a call on 0117 987 6000.
To start off the Celebrating Age Festival, Bristol Drugs Project will be hosting a concert at Bristol City Hall with performances from Rising Voices Recovery Choir and Bristol Recovery Orchestra. Bristol Recovery Orchestra will be playing favourite pieces from their history: uplifting pieces from 1920’s gypsy jazz through to pop classics and our very own composition. Rising Voices will sing songs of hope, reflection and connection.
What is the Celebrating Age Festival?
The Celebrating Age Festival (CAF) takes place annually in October launching on the International Day of Older Persons on 1st October. This festival is all about challenging stereotypes around ageing and encouraging everyone to try something new. There will be a variety of free and low-cost events and activities taking place from musical performances, art exhibitions and tours to discos and shared reading groups.
The festival showcases what’s going on across Bristol for people over the age of 50 including one-off events and performances throughout October and highlights activities put on by local organisations on a regular basis.
Find out more about the free concert on EventBrite.
We are delighted to have secured new resources to offer young people and schools an alternative to school exclusion because of a drug-related incident or family situation. Responding rapidly is key to making this work for schools and this new funding will enable our New Leaf Rapid Youth Worker to make contact within 48 hours. The first year will start in Bristol and quickly extend across North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
BDP is one of seven successful projects funded by Bristol North Somerset & South Gloucestershire’s Clinical Commissioning Group as part of the Children & Young People’s Framework of Integrated Care – the Vanguard programme. This is a national initiative, designed to enhance trauma-informed support for children & young people with complex needs.
Barnardo’s Young Advisors group were part of the selection process and gave us great feedback about our proposal, particularly our intention to offer this alternative to exclusion not only for a drug-related incident with a young person but also to young people whose behaviours are influenced by their parents’ problematic drug use.
We’re very pleased to have been the subject of a case study showcasing our brilliant Shared Care service in Bristol.
Following a meeting in the summer looking at how to revitalise models of care for providing Opioid Substitution Treatment (OST) for people who are dependent on heroin, our very own Shared Care service is the subject of a case study at Addiction Professionals about how effective a joined up Primary Care approach can be.
Our service, which will have been running for 25 years next year, joins up the experience of knowledgeable Shared Care workers and local GPs to deliver an OST service at the heart of communities – something that remains in scarce supply in many areas.
Our case study looks at how the service started, where we are now and, where we’d like to take it in the future. It can be read in full on the Addiction Professionals website.
We know the importance of social contact and this being crucial for people to thrive. This last year has been tough for everyone, we have all missed people and no more so than the 50+ Crowd, our social support group for older substance users.
Alcohol and other drug use when older is isolating in its self and being away from the weekly gatherings at BDP take away for many their only social contact. We were able to call people, do home/garden visits and as soon as restrictions allowed launch invited small and larger groups to held in safe spaces at BDP.
This has made a real difference to people’s wellbeing, as those who attend tell us…
It has been nice seeing other people
I know it takes a lot of organising to get the groups running, thank you
Today I celebrate 11 years without alcohol and 9 years without smoking ‘nuffink’ thanks BDP for all your help and support
Life saver
Thank you for the group this afternoon so good to be able to catch up with the old possums
Find Out More
To find out more about Loneliness week hosted by the Marmalade Trust including ways of finding support and getting involved visit their website below or join in the conversation on social media with the hashtag #LetsTalkLoneliness.
We are delighted to have secured new resources to offer young people and schools an alternative to school exclusion because of a drug-related incident or family situation. Responding rapidly is key to making this work for schools and this new funding will enable our New Leaf Rapid Youth Worker to make contact within 48 hours. The first year will start in Bristol and quickly extend across North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
