News

WDP News - WDP Harrow Road Tea Party

WDP’s Harrow Rd service in London held a tea party on Wednesday 24th September to celebrate the WDP Peer Advocates (affectionately known within the company as ‘The A-Team’), and to promote all of WDP’s services throughout Westminster.

The event was a great success; over 60 staff, volunteers, partner agencies and members of local government came and enjoyed networking and finding out more about WDP’s services over tea and cake.

Members of WDP's Peer Advocate Service pose with MP Karen Buck.

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Foundations Westminster Camping Trip
Foundations Westminster Aftercare Service in partnership with the Cardinal Hume Centre recently organised a camping trip to Worth Abbey, Sussex for its clients who have been working hard at a successful recovery.

The aim of the trip was to promote greater service user involvement in Westminster services, as well as allowing service users time to reflect, team building, build new social networks, advanced goal setting and of course, to have some fun!

Team activities included the renovation of Bermondsey huts and its surrounding area; as well as some relaxing including bowling and trips to the cinema. The trip was a storming success and Foundations Westminster are hoping to make this an annual event.

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WDP Run External Training Courses - Foundations Learning

Foundations Learning is a new training service supplied by WDP. A range of courses will be running from September 2008 from our headquarters located in central London.

Foundations Learning provides quality training at reasonable prices, using only experienced and professional trainers. For more course information please visit the Foundations Learning webpage.

WDP News - WDP at Bonkersfest!

WDP recently ran a stall at Bonkersfest! mental health awareness festival on Camberwell Green in Southwark, London. Visitors to the stall shared their ideas on what mental health and drugs mean to them by drawing and writing their thoughts on the WDP ideas board.

Westminster Drug Project Staff talk to Bonkersfest visitors about substance misuse and mental health

The Core Trust Garden Party

Despite the rain, The Core Trust had a successful and well attended garden party this year on the 9th of July. Staff, clients and partner agencies came together to catch up, network and celebrate another successful year at Core. Westminster Councillor Barbara Graheme did the honour of cutting the ribbon to open the day’s festivities.

The Core Trust staff with Councillor Barbara Graheme (right) cutting the ribbon

The Core Trust is a WDP service based in Marylebone which offers innovative ways to deal with drug and alcohol addiction using a blend modern psychology with complementary therapies. Please visit The Core Trust website for more information.

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WDP News - The Westminster Peer Advocacy Pilot Scheme

Since completing a 4 week training course at WDP in advanced communication skills, the Westminster Peer Advocates have been providing all of the substance misuse services in Westminster with a much needed and well received programme. The volunteers have been supporting clients by sharing experiences, offering practical support, escorting to appointments as well as talking through treatment choices and concerns.

Westminster Drug Project Peer Advocates (A Team)

This is an incredibly successful service and we hope to duplicate it’s success in other boroughs across London in the coming months.

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Visitors from Hong Kong

On Monday 16th June WDP hosted a visit from nine social workers from Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, Community Services Division, Hong Kong. They visited WDP premises in Harrow Road in order to meet our staff and volunteers and to share different ways of working in London and Hong Kong. The focus of discussions was on Drug Interventions Programme services and harm reduction.

The visit was a huge success and WDP employees were pleased to receive a reciprocal invitation to Hong Kong!

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Westminster Drug Project Hosts World Hepatitis Day Event

Westminster Drug Project’s service on Harrow Road held an event to raise awareness about hepatitis on 23 May in response to World Hepatitis Day, which took place earlier in the week, on 19 May.

The Event
The day included insightful talks from two key speakers : Charles Gore from The HepC Trust and Sebastian Saville from RELEASE, a leading charity focusing on drugs and the law. They provided insight into their experiences of Hepatitis treatment and answered many questions raised by the audience.

The Aim
The main aim of this event was to raise awareness about hepatitis within the borough, and to highlight recently commissioned services.

A Successful Day
The event had fantastic attendance, including over 35 clients, and at least as many professionals. The post-talk BBQ lunch was also a great success!

WDP Wandsworth Stage Event to Raise Awareness about Drugs in Minority Communities

Wandsworth Drug Project and the Khalsa Centre Panjabi Class in Tooting joined forces to stage a lively cultural event to raise awareness about healthy living among local minority groups.

Wandsworth Drug Project advised visitors of the Sikh community on services available to residents of the borough of Wandsworth, should they require help with any substance misuse issues they are experiencing.

The team raised awareness in minority communities by setting up a stand at the event where people approached them with questions, as well as giving a presentation highlighting the health implications of using drugs and alcohol, giving advice and distributing leaflets.

This event took place on the 25th April 2008 at Wandsworth town hall and was a great success. Over 700 people of all ages attended. Food and drinks were provided and the night featured lively entertainment provided by the Khalsa Centre Panjabi Class including traditional ethnic dancing. The children of the centre also be performed a play on the Sikh story of Bhai Kanahiya Ji who was a role model to Sikh people over 300 years ago, promoting kindness and social and moral values.

WDP's Westminster Drug Interventions Programme (DIP) Wins Award

Tackling Drug Supply Awards

Commended for Partnership working: Metropolitan Police/Westminster DIP

“We are delighted to receive this award in recognition of the hard work and dedication the Westminster Drug Interventions Programme team have shown over the last eighteen months.” Rob Henchy, Project Manager, Westminster

A close partnership with the Metropolitan Police and the ‘Tough Choice’ roll-out has allowed Westminster DIP to reach out to the most vulnerable members of society. In addition, the partnership provides an opportunity to greatly enhance information sharing and strategy with respect to working with these individuals.

An impact study undertaken by Westminster DIP demonstrated that offending rates dropped significantly following engagement with the programme. This has proved an asset in promoting the scheme both with in and outside of the partnership in terms of its effectiveness as a tool in crime reduction.

Faye Williamson and David
Eastwood with the award

Key Achievements:

• Since the introduction of Tough Choices, Westminster has consistently performed well meeting or exceeding all compact targets and receiving ‘green’ in all areas of our RAG performance status.
• Westminster DIP are one of the best performing London Boroughs, despite being by far the largest and most complex programme in the UK.

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