Local recovery service awarded £10,000 in National Lottery funding

Acorn management team (L-R) Nicola Crompton Hill, Stacy Garvin and Vicki Howard

Acorn Recovery Projects, a charity providing a range of recovery services across the North West including in Rochdale, for people with drug, alcohol and other addictions has recently been awarded £10,000 in National Lottery funding.

The successful application was submitted after a period of adjustment for Acorn’s services following lockdown restrictions and the funding will now allow the Acorn Recovery team to secure a number of items that will be beneficial to their clients.

For Acorn’s residential services, funding will go towards providing additional indoor and outdoor games for clients as well as tools, plants and flowers for the garden after lockdown restrictions forced Acorn to find new ways to keep clients engaged outside of the treatment rooms.

Elsewhere, to provide more accessible and engaging support for clients in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, funds will be used to provide a library of smart phones and tablets to allow Acorn community service clients to engage with groups remotely. Acorn is currently providing these groups over video call to ensure support remains available and conforms to Government guidance. However, access to smart phones or tablets had been an obstacle for some clients, preventing them from engaging fully with the new look services. By creating a library of devices, Acorn hopes to eliminate these obstacles and ensure support remains accessible to all who need it.

Kerrie Lang, Primary Housing Lead at Acorn Recovery Projects said: “The donation from the national lottery is absolutely fantastic news for the staff as we can now ensure that all clients have what they need to get the most from their time in our services. Those that could not join the community groups will be provided with tablets so that they can access the support on offer and for the residential clients it means that the downtime outside of the therapy can be much more constructive and lots more fun.

“The pandemic has been a real struggle for everyone, but for those accessing services and the providers themselves, it has been an extremely difficult time that has tested the resilience of everyone.”

Commissioned by Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, a pilot programme that offers free advice and support to reduce alcohol-exposed pregnancies was announced by Acorn Recovery Projects to be offered throughout Rochdale, Bury, Oldham, Tameside, and Glossop, last month.

The programme will provide information and support to mums-to-be, women of childbearing age and any family members or friends who will be a support to the new mum, offering confidential advice, guidance, and re-assurance for anyone concerned about alcohol consumption during pregnancy:

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/135708/free-advice-and-support-available-in-rochdale-to-reduce-alcoholexposed-pregnancies