Six new projects tackle alcohol abuse

Six groups have been awarded funding under the Bury East Alcohol Prospectus Scheme (BEAPS), a pioneering community-led project to tackle anti-social behaviour fuelled by alcohol abuse.

All the priorities were chosen by local residents, who voted in favour of all the organisations to work in their area to help them tackle the problem.

The plans were unveiled at the second annual BEAPS presentation night event (Wed 4 Sep) at Moorside Community Centre in Bury, organised by Bury East Township Forum. Money for the project came from the national Alcohol Prospectus Fund.

The meeting was chaired by Councillor Mike Connolly, leader of Bury Council, who said: “We all know how disturbing alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour can be and this project delivered tangible results in 2012. The initiative puts real powers into the hands of the local community and we all look forward to receiving feedback on these projects at future meetings of the township forum.”

Details of the six projects:

* Bury Youth Service – Peer Education Programme: The project will work with 15 Year 10 pupils at Broad Oak High School in East Bury, delivering alcohol awareness sessions to Year 7 and 8 pupils during PHSE lessons.

* Early Break - Alternatives Project: This project will deliver holistic therapies for ‘at risk’ young people in a therapeutic setting within the school/college. This will help reduce factors that can lead to alcohol use and poor learning such as anger, low mood, sleep disturbance, and low confidence.

* Coram Life Education - Parent Assembly Programme: This will bring togetherchildren, teachers, parents/carers and community partners, to deliver the key messages around alcohol-related harm in terms of anti-social behaviour, health and families.

* Community Safety Partnership - Young Persons’ Alcohol Harm Reduction Conference: An awareness-raising event, including the police, ASB team, trading standards and the fire service, to warn members of the public, particularly young people, about the consequences of drinking alcohol.

* POG Group - Alcohol Peer Educators: To provide information, advice, guidance and support to young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender or who are questioning their sexuality. This project involves improving alcohol awareness among this vulnerable group, and offers them the skills and opportunity to educate other young people.

* Redvales Children’s Centre - Healthy Relationships: This will focus on situations which may threaten ‘family’ safety, encouraging women to come forward, seek their rights and then to direct them to self-help services. The project will also provide information in a supportive environment, highlighting statistics and diagnosis of ongoing unresolved situations. It will help women to identify and understand their differing scales of ‘healthy’ and unhealthy relationship areas.

ENDS

Press release issued: 13 September 2013.