Charity is at the heart of the Wokingham Word.
Over the years, I have been proud to support local charities and non-profit making organisations literally thousands of times, with free publicity reaching 25,000 local homes. It’s central to both the content and ethos of the Wokingham Word … readers love it, and charities tell me every month, how much they benefit. It’s a privilege to be a force for good in Wokingham.
Every year, I spotlight one very special charity. I tell their story and let Wokingham know why they’re important to our community.
My Chosen Charity for 2024 is
Addiction Family Support
Addiction, be it drugs/alcohol/gambling/whatever, is a real problem in society and widely misunderstood. It is traumatic for addicts, and their loved ones.
Addiction Family Support provide support to people affected or bereaved by a loved one’s addiction. Their vision is: a world where no one faces a loved one’s addiction alone.
They will:
Understand your situation – listen with empathy and without judgment to understand your unique challenges.
Provide information – provide relevant, specific, and targeted information, to improve your knowledge.
Explore strategies – discuss your social support, how you react, respond, and cope.
Refer – identify any additional needs and refer you, within our organisation or externally, for further support.
www.addictionfamilysupport.org.uk
In short, Addiction Family Support can provide the unique support and advice that families of addicts desperately need.
Help for addicts themselves is available from many organisations. When an addict is ready, the following organisations and more can help:
AA – www.aa.org
NA – www.ukna.org
Cranstoun – www.cranstoun.org
Alanon (for families) – www.al-anon.org.uk
Drugfam (families, all addictions) drugfam.co.uk
NACOA (for children) – www.nacoa.org.uk
Throughout the summer of 2024, I wrote a 4 part series of articles about addiction, published in the Wokingham Word, with the aim of raising awareness and understanding of the problem, and dispelling myths. You can read the complete set here: