Community impact from CAPITAL & West Sussex County Council project
Those of you who keep up with our work will know that we are now halfway through year two of working with West Sussex County Council on our Drugs and Alcohol Partnership.
Part of the project involved WSCC funding community initiatives founded and run by people who had experience of drug and alcohol issues, and there have been so many fantastic successes!
This month we thought it would be a good idea to celebrate the diversity of the projects that have been funded, which now totals nine peer-led community projects in West Sussex.
We have our Creative Space where participants come together using art as therapy in their recovery journeys. We have two women centred groups - The Women’s Wellbeing Project and The East Grinstead Women’s SHARE group where women come together in solidarity to cover issues specifically related to women’s issues. We have a TikTok series being created to tackle gangs and grooming and a project called High on Health which aims to produce healthy drink alternatives to the sugar fuelled market we see right now. Stonepillow’s Voice of Lived Experience Programme is designed and delivered by individuals with lived experience, and focuses on building confidence, self-esteem, and personal resilience. Through storytelling, peer support, and reflective activities, participants are encouraged to reclaim their narratives and develop a stronger sense of self-worth.
Pot Roast at Turning Tides is a hands-on cooking group that champions the idea that nutritious meals don’t have to break the bank. Participants learn how to prepare healthy, budget-friendly dishes in a welcoming and collaborative environment. The sessions also promote social connection, practical life skills, and a deeper understanding of food choices.
Not forgetting our Carers Support project which aims to support the carers in our community who work tirelessly to support those experiencing a range of issues from mental and physical health to substance and alcohol misuse.
We’re also pleased to share news of an upcoming six-week group programme at Ford Prison, designed and led by the inmates themselves. This initiative marks an important step in empowering participants to take ownership of their recovery journeys and foster peer-led support within the prison community. The group is scheduled to launch in January, and you can find more information on this - and so much more - on the Drug and Alcohol Partnership project pages on the main CAPITAL website or contact Sara sara.shepherd@capitalcharity.org or Mark mark.mills@capitalcharity.org.
If you’d like to know more about how to bring co-production, peer support and lived experience expertise into your organisation, please get in touch.