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New Highway Win Big Lottery Funding for Auricular Acupuncture Services

We are pleased to announce that we have been successful in an application to the Big Lottery for 3 year funding to expand our Auricular Acupuncture Services. Please read the press release below to find out more:

New Highway (the Charity formerly known as Bath Area Drugs Advisory Service) will use a grant of £167,948 to expand its project helping people with substance misuse problems to overcome their addiction through an alternative form of treatment.

The funding will mean the Charity can offer auricular acupuncture - a specialised complementary therapy where points on the outer ear are treated using needles - to a greater number of people across Bath, North East Somerset and Wiltshire.

Service users benefit not only from the positive effects of the acupuncture, which include reducing the physical symptoms associated with withdrawal from drugs, but also the delivery of the weekly sessions, which give them a valuable element of routine in their lives and the chance to relax, contemplate and reflect.

The project also gives former addicts the chance to support the delivery of service and act as role models to those in the early stages of recovery. In turn this helps them to build their skills and confidence, improves their employability and helps them to get back to normal life without addiction problems.

Daniel Lyus, New Highway Development Director, said: “This project was originally led and developed by service users who wanted alternative activities to support mainstream treatment and who also wanted greater involvement in running their own services.

“It’s very much a holistic approach where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts - the acupuncture is proven to have positive effect and decrease addictive tendencies, but the really powerful effect comes from giving people a space away from distractions where they can relax, reflect and commit to overcoming their drug misuse. People using the service often come from very chaotic lives but very quickly they report that the acupuncture sessions help them to become calmer, happier and able to manage their challenges more effectively.”

“Our evidence shows that the service aids both the retention and engagement of drug users in drug services”

New Highway Lead the Way in Training Staff

New Highway have become the first drug and alcohol charity in the South West to train all of their staff to NVQ 3 standard in Substance Misuse.

New Highway Service Level Activity for April 2008 March 2009*

A review of New Highway service level activity in the year 2008/09 has showed that across that period New Highway worked with 2488 unique individuals across Bath and Wiltshire. There was an equal split between those people who were supported for Alcohol problems (40%) and drugs problems (41%), 481 people were supported for combined drug and alcohol problems.

57% of the people that New Highway worked with in 2008/09 were between the ages of 25 and 45 and vast majority were male (71%).

*Data taken from BOMIC apart from the DRR which is from the commissioners reports.

New Highway team up with a major local employer to increase awareness of alcohol and drugs

The New Highway Learning and Development Manager Adrian Murphy recently delivered a two day training package to the employess at Airsprung Furniture in Trowbridge to raise awareness of drugs and alcohol. All staff have said what an eye opener it was and Vince Wakely the Group Safety, Health and Environment Manager for Airsprung said that;

“from a Company point of view, it has increased the knowledge of staff to be able to effectively and caringly deal with any drug and/or alcohol problem that may come up and has lifted some of the stigma associated with drug and alcohol use.” Vince went on to say that “One person said there is a stereo typical image of a drug user but nothing takes away the fact there is still a person under the addiction that needs assistance.”

To enquire about our training services please contact our Learning and Development Manager Adrian Murphy

Exhibition champions the work of individuals addicted to alcohol and other drugs

In May 2010 New Highway (formerly known as Bath Area Drug Advisory Service) teamed up with the Space at Westbury to showcase art, poetry, sculpture and photography by individuals addicted to alcohol and other drugs.

The exhibition which ran from the 15 – 20 May in the centre of Westbury at the Space Gallery included work from 22 contributors whose lives have in some way been affected by problematic alcohol and drug use. Presented in a professional and engaging way the exhibition aimed to challenge stigma around addiction by focusing on the creativity and skills that the Bath Area Drug Advisory Service clients have.

Jim Wright (not real name) was one of the service users whose work was on show, he said "It was a wonderful experience to take part in this unique exhibition and not only was I very proud of my own contribution but I was proud to be associated with such heartfelt work from other service users. I think anything that can change the negative perception of addicts in the community or perhaps educate people to the actual reality is fantastic and should be encouraged.” 

The exhibition attracted very positive feedback from visitors including amongst them the Trowbridge Deputy Mayor Clive Blackmore who commented "I enjoyed the exhibition very much and think this is very worthwhile. It’s good to see people turning their lives around in such a positive way".

The Manager of The Space, Andy Collett said that "This is just what Westbury needs, a strong exhibition from people in Wiltshire. I am really proud that The Space has been able to host this event".

Kevin McAlpine, Chief Executive of New Highway said that “the high standard of work on show at this event was testament to how high quality engagement, effective advice, support and treatment can enable people to overcome the negative consequences of problematic drug & alcohol use.”

Photograph 1: Deputy Mayor of Trowbridge, Clive Blackmore, with the exhibition organisers (Martin White, Elspeth Varley and Sarah Carr of New Highway).

Photograph 2:The exhibition organisers (Martin White, Elspeth Varley and Sarah Carr of New Highway) with Andy Collett and Stella Collett who run The Space and Will Maslin a service user who contributed the music.