The drug and alcohol awareness programme for schools
The Amy Winehouse Foundation works to prevent the effects of drug and alcohol misuse on young people. We also aim to support, inform and inspire vulnerable and disadvantaged young people to help them reach their full potential.
“Drug and alcohol education is something that is not very common in schools, and this must change. We all have a responsibility to empower the next generation and to encourage young people to lead healthy, productive lives and to minimise the harm caused by drugs and alcohol use.� Mitch Winehouse.
Amy Winehouse Foundation
Resilience Programme The drug and alcohol awareness programme for schools. The Amy Winehouse Foundation works to prevent the effects of drug and alcohol misuse on young people. As part of this mission, the Foundation gives support and funding to many charitable projects engaging young people in drug and alcohol related programmes. The Amy Winehouse Foundation have formed a special partnership with Addaction to deliver targeted drug and alcohol education work in schools. The partnership combines the Foundation’s programme for secondary schools with Skills 4 Change, Addaction’s targeted support programme for YP affected by parental substance misuse. It aims to create level of awareness in young people that can prove to be life changing. Addaction’s Skills 4 Change programme has had great success with 86% of students reporting they are now coping better at school and 74% coping better at home because of what they learned through the programme after 6 months. These are similar to the results found immediately after student’s participation in Skills 4 Change, suggesting that these effects last over time. For more information about Addaction’s Skills 4 Change programme and the Amy Winehouse Foundation you can visit www.addaction.org.uk and www.amywinehousefoundation.org or see the inserts included in this pack.
It aims to create a level of awareness in young people, that can prove to be life changing.
Why are we doing this? As referenced in the Government’s recent 2010 Drug Strategy, high quality drug and alcohol education is needed to help children and young people feel empowered to make positive choices with regards to drugs and alcohol. This is an issue that both the Amy Winehouse Foundation and Addaction feel strongly about, which resulted in the formation of a strong alliance between the two, to provide early intervention and prevention to enable young people to make positive and well informed decisions when it comes to drugs and alcohol.
With more than 20,000 young people accessing specialist drug and alcohol services in 2011/12 it is clear that drugs and alcohol continue to create and the wider community.
‘Well, I’ve changed. Before I came here I was like getting in trouble and everything…but when we stopped coming here I did get in trouble once and that’s the only time that I got in trouble. I didn’t do most of my homework. I didn’t help around the house, as in doing washing and stuff, but now I do. I never used to be polite to my dad and my stepmum.’ (Student)
What the programme does The programme, which will be delivered by highly trained volunteers and specialist substance misuse workers. It will seek to: alcohol, and associated risks i.e. offending or anti social behaviour. peer pressure. Thereby helping to reduce substance misuse and alleviate potential harms to young people, families and the local community. be at risk as a result of parental substance misuse, supporting them to cope better at home and improve school attendance and educational attainment. substance misuse, and engage in conversations with their children. risk of substance misuse. support and treatment In addition, we will also further support from Childline – who provide a across the UK. BIG Lottery funding currently enables us to deliver our programme in 10 locations around the country, reaching 250,000 students If you are interested in having the programme come to your school or in donating, please contact: Amy Winehouse Foundation Resilience Programme team on 0300 30 30 177 or e-mail us at resilience@amywinehousefoundation.org
The programme aims to be available to as many schools as possible.
‘An education system that enables and supports young people to make informed choices - whatever they might be, is vitally important. So, it can’t be right that children and young people could potentially leave school with little or no drug and alcohol education. In partnership with the Amy Winehouse Foundation, Addaction has made a commitment to educating and informing young people to help them make positive choices when it comes to alcohol and drugs. Supporting parents and teachers is an integral part of the programme. By working together with the Amy Winehouse Foundation we aim to have an even greater impact on the lives of children and young people, to help them feel empowered and to have the Simon Antrobus, Chief Executive, Addaction.
“The talk from the Amy Winehouse Foundation was very helpful, I don’t feel so alone any more” (Student)
The drug and alcohol awareness programme for schools
If you would like more information about the Programme please contact the Amy Winehouse Foundation Resilience Programme team on 0300 30 30 177 or e-mail us at resilience@amywinehousefoundation.org www.amywinehousefoundation.org www.addaction.org.uk
Amy Winehouse Foundation, charity registered in England and Wales no. 1143740. A company limited by guarantee. Registered no. 07737209.