Kenward Trust - "What would you say to people suffering with addiction?"

Kenward Trust, founded in 1968, is a registered charity that helps men and women overcome alcohol and drug misuse. In excess of 10,000 have been helped with an average of 190-200 on an annual basis. We do this by delivering residential rehabilitation projects, and community and youth programmes, across Kent and Medway.

We are passionate about our work and helping individuals transform their lives by avoiding dependence upon drugs and alcohol. This is vital and essential for all of us living in society since substance abuse can affect anyone, anywhere and at any time of life.

Our Kenward in the Community programme is a preventative, early intervention and outreach-focused misuse service. It is delivered by a team of people from diverse social backgrounds who all have an excellent reputation in delivering youth services. They work together to deliver the Kenward Intervention Programme and community outreach work with hard to reach young people where drugs and alcohol can be causing anti-social behaviour. They are all fully DBS to work with young people and vulnerable adults

The biggest obstacle to reducing substance misuse is the inability to begin talking about the subject. In schools, workplaces and in general everyday conversation, ‘drink and drugs’ is a subject that is still not easy to discuss.

We are pleased to have been awarded a grant from the Colyer-Fergusson Charitable Trust to deliver Think Differently, our free drug and alcohol education and intervention sessions to secondary schools across Kent and Medway.

Using real life stories and experiences from individuals with previous drug and alcohol addictions, ex-offenders and current prison volunteers, Think Differently engages with young people raising awareness of the issues and potential consequences of drug and alcohol dependency. It helps young people to see these issues of crime and addiction and how it affects people. It outlines starkly that if they continue to follow the path they are on, then there will be multiple, negative consequences. Think Differently can help young people to make an informed choice due to contact and conversation with people who have been caught up in crime and addiction, because their lives have been affected by substance misuse.

Think Differently can be tailored to meet the individual needs of your school and/or particular year groups. It can be delivered to the whole school via an assembly, to specific year groups or to a small group of targeted individuals who may already be experimenting with drugs and alcohol or a risk of using drugs and alcohol. Our funding also enables us to offer an additional follow up day with a member of the Kenward in the Community team to offer further group/one to one work with individuals.

If you would like to discuss our Think Differently programme attending your school please contact, John Shanley, on 01622 814187 or email johns@kenwardtrust.org.uk

Any questions please do ask, and we look forward to supporting your school and students with education on drugs and alcohol, ASB and prison.