For over three decades, a North Belfast charity has specialised in providing counselling, training, recovery and support services within the field of addiction.
As well as working with individuals and families facing substance use issues, staff at Dunlewey Addiction Services also provide an Ireland wide problem gambling service.
Established in 1987 and based on the Cavehill Road, DAS now offers support to adults, children, individuals and families affected by addiction across Ireland.
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Over the last year, 1,500 service users received support and over 5,000 interventions were offered.
"Our mission statement, 'unlocking the door to personal growth, learning and change', reinforces our ethos and belief that everyone within them has the ability to change and develop as unique individuals," Pauline Campbell, Director of DAS, explained.
"Over the years we have developed strong partnerships across the substance misuse, health and criminal justice fields and are very much aware of the importance of both partnership and collaborative working so that our service users get the right service for them at the right time."
Back in 1985, the founder of Dunlewey Addiction Services, Jo Daykin-Goodall, along with Joe Hendron and the then Director of the Northland Centre in Derry, Denis Bradley managed to persuade a Belfast-based addiction centre to open a branch in the Divis complex to deal with the misuse of prescription and over the counter medicine, alcohol and solvents.
By March 1987, despite having waiting lists for the service, the branch closed when funding ended. One of the common complaints of Divis residents in 1987 was the lack of staying power by individuals and agencies who came to the complex offering provision and then left as quickly as they came, having created a demand for their services.
Jo was concerned that this pattern was repeating itself and that those residents who had been attending the service would struggle without this support.
In the week leading up to the branch closing, Jo met with the Parish Priest at St Peter's Cathedral to discuss the options available and to identify a space in the complex that could be used to deliver even an ad-hoc service.
The parish had a few years earlier knocked two ground floor flats into one which they used as a community centre primarily for older people, running meals on wheels from the flat and hosting social activities such as bingo.
The priest said with ‘tongue in cheek’ that the community flat had two bathrooms and only one was needed and to his surprise and Jo’s, she asked that the spare bathroom be ripped out.
On Saturday 28th March with the help of a small group of local community workers, the bathroom was ripped out and a desk, chair, filing cabinet and two easy chairs placed into the newly painted and carpeted room, which had been paid for by the parish.
Four days later on Wednesday, 1st April, Jo opened the door to what was to become known as the Dunlewey Substance Advice Centre, later Dunlewey Addiction Services.
"Dunlewey was created to facilitate individuals to examine their own substance misuse and other issues affecting their lives, in a safe and confidential environment," Pauline explained.
"It was created to enable them to make the right choices for themselves and to empower them to implement the changes necessary in their lives.
"That vision survives to this day and the mission statement in 1987, ‘unlocking the door to personal growth, learning and change’ is as relevant today as it was then."
DAS staff and service users recently completed a sponsored walk to raise money for a celebratory event to mark its 35th anniversary.
The gathered at Lurgan Park, braving the weather to complete a 5km walk and raise £1,200 in support of the organisation’s first Gala Ball.
The Gala Ball, which is being held in Belfast City Hall in August, will bring together 300 service-users and supporters from across Northern Ireland to celebrate recovery and the organisation’s milestone anniversary.
The evening will include a formal reception and dinner, followed by a certificate presentation, art exhibition, book launch and prize-giving, and will provide an opportunity for people in recovery to socialise with their peers in a safe environment.
"It has been an honour and privilege to have worked for 35 years within this field with very courageous people, professionally supporting them on their recovery journey," Pauline said.
"Some of our service users have experienced very challenging times, many of them will be celebrating with us at the Gala Ball, demonstrating the power of resilience.
“While this will be an alcohol-free event it certainly won’t be dry! The evening will be hosted by Nuala McKeever and the programme will involve and include our service-users, with performances by The Right Key (a recovery choir), a drama led by our young people, and our adult service users will share their stories of recovery.”
The organisation is appealing for support to help deliver the Gala Ball with donations being accepted via Paypal or by contacting our head office at 247 Cavehill Road, BT15 5BS on 028 9039 2547.
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