BEFRIENDING SERVICE TO RECOVER FROM ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE

More than 100 people in the east end of Glasgow are to be given one-to-one help to beat alcohol addiction. A befriending service run by Greater Easterhouse Alcohol Awareness Project has been given £448,083 - five years funding - by the Big Lottery Fund. The initiative is one of nine Scottish projects to share almost £3million in the latest round of lottery funding.

It is expected that many of the 100 volunteers will themselves have recovered from alcohol addiction. They will help people with alcohol-misuse problems access specialist services such as counselling.

"By providing one-to-one support, these befrienders can help accompany people to activities or to access other agencies.," explained the scheme's befriending service manager, Mary Fisher.

"The grant will enable us to continue recruiting and training volunteers who in turn will provide a vital service by building the self confidence of local people and supporting them to reintegrate back into their communities."