Drug charity gets millions in funding to support addict recovery

The service will be available in Gloucester, Stroud and Cheltenham

A London charity has won a council contract worth £5.8m a year to deliver drug and alcohol addict recovery services in Gloucestershire.

Via will be based in Cheltenham and Stroud from April, as well as bringing the UK's first women's detox service to the area with The Nelson Trust.

The charity will offer confidential treatment and support to adults who live in Gloucestershire and need help with alcohol and drug issues.

Gloucestershire County Council and Via said research shows for every £1 spent on drug treatment, there is a social and economic benefit of £4 - which includes reductions in health, social care spending, as well as offending costs.

'These services improve community'

Yasmin Batliwala, chair of Via said: "We are looking forward to working in close collaboration with our partners and serving the needs of our clients and their families within the local communities across Gloucestershire to deliver high-quality services from April 2024."

Mark Hawthorne, leader of Gloucestershire County Council added: "I'm really pleased to welcome Via as Gloucestershire's new community drug and alcohol treatment provider.

"As well as helping some of our most vulnerable residents to turn their lives around, these services help to improve our communities.

"Housing, health, and social care services all benefit when drug and alcohol treatments are working effectively."